A needs analysis for the establishment of a writing center at Bilkent University

Abstract

This research study investigated the perceived writing needs of students at Bilkent University and whether establishing a writing center at Bilkent would serve those needs. Sixty-six students and twenty-four instructors participated in this study. The study had two sets of six research guestions. The first set of questions aimed at determining whether students were actually writing: Are students writing in their subject courses? What kinds of writing tasks are they writing? and Are they having difficulty? The second set aimed at exploring students' writing needs and whether establishing a writing center at Bilkent University would serve those needs: How do students perceive their writing needs? and How do English and subject instructors perceive students' writing needs? This study was followed in two steps. First, interviews were conducted with four English writing instructors and three subject area instructors. Based on these interviews questionnaires were designed. Questionnaires were distributed to two groups: 46 Freshman and 16 senior students and 14 English and 10 subject area instructors. Data regarding the questionnaires were analyzed using frequencies, percentages and means. The openended items were categorized. Means across groups were compared. The results of this study showed that students are in fact writing in their subject courses, taking essay type exams and are sometimes assigned research papers and oral presentations. Freshmen students feel more confident about their writing than senior students, but instructors feel that students are having difficulty and need extra assistance with their writing. Instructors indicated that they would encourage students to make use of a writing center and students indicated they would make use of a writing center as well. Although there is a perceived need for extra assistance in writing for students, results do not indicate that establishing a writing center would necessarily serve the needs of students, as students indicate reluctance about using the center.