This case study is an output from the Academic Skills Development Project. It examines the impact of academic writing support at St Peter's College, providing valuable insights into effective academic skills development within Oxford's collegiate system.
Using the Most Significant Change methodology, the research captures detailed accounts of students' experiences with the college's academic writing course to understand what characterises effective academic skills development.
View the case study (PDF file)
The study engaged ten students from diverse academic backgrounds and study levels in in-depth interviews about their writing development experiences. Their stories were analysed through a peer review process where participants read and evaluated each other's narratives, complemented by insights from the course tutor.
Key findings reveal several characteristics of effective academic skills development:
- The value of explicit instruction in academic writing conventions combined with discipline-specific application
- The importance of timing and scaffolding in skills development interventions
- The role of peer learning and group discussion in building confidence
- The benefits of combining structured course content with individualised mentoring.
This research contributes to the Centre for Teaching and Learning's broader evaluation framework for understanding academic skills development, which employs multiple methodologies across different contexts to build a comprehensive evidence base for informing future provision across the University.
