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Item Open Access STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS ACADEMIC WRITING TASKS IN KENYAN HIGHER EDUCATION: A PRAGMATIC APPROACH(International Journal of Innovative Research and Knowledge, 2019-05-01) Kinuthia, Jane Wanjiku PhD.*; Rutere, JosleenAcademic writing is a common type of writing in many academic institutions. In higher education, the practice involves inquiry that uses research and writing to either form new questions or pursue existing enduring questions that would be of interest to the academic community. It is also viewed as a platform that provides learners with an opportunity to navigate through critical questions in their field of study. At the undergraduate level, the research inquiries and write-ups mainly rely on secondary sources of information. Higher education involves adapting ways that may lead to understanding, interpreting and organizing knowledge. Problems may arise in students’ writing due to gaps between the expectations of the academic staff and that of the students regarding what this kind of writing involves. Bearing in mind that this type of writing has its own characteristic features and distinct style, we conducted a survey research from a corpus drawn from a twelve percent random sample of all chartered Universities in Kenya. The collected data was analyzed with a view of determining the perceptions from both students and members of academic staff regarding most of the issues associated with the process of academic writing such as knowledge, authority, technical skills and linguistic competence. Guided by the principles of Gricean pragmatics, the qualitative and quantitative responses enabled the study to interrogate how perceptions in the entire process influence management of this very important aspect of learning in academic institutions. It is hoped that the views from this exploratory overview as well as findings and the discussions thereof, will contribute some meaningful insights that will deepen the understanding and management of this discourse practice.Item Open Access Knowledge Management in Academic Writing Tasks of Undergraduate Students in Selected Kenyan Universities(PAC University, 2023-10-12) Kinuthia, Jane; Rutere, JosleenBeing a critical component of learning in higher education in Kenya, academic writing has necessitated the Commission for University Education to suggest measures to regularize and standardize academic expectations that guide how institutions of higher learning manage this aspect of the study. Academic writing assignments are a measure of demonstrating acquisition of knowledge, development of critical thinking skills, as well as conceptualization and concretization of ideas through reading and writing. It has, therefore, been used over the years in form of assignments and research reports, especially in higher education. In the face of so much criticism in the recent past, ranging from negative attitudes to unethical practices among the students, this chapter seeks to illuminate this practice with a view of arguing that how knowledge is managed in institutions of higher learning has a huge role in influencing the realization of goals set for this academic space. The findings indicated that the practice of academic writing in institutions of higher learning is characterized by a myriad of challenges that may need to be addressed if students are to be adequately prepared. It also explores possible solutions that would enhance the credibility of writing tasks in higher education as a way of ensuring that Kenyan learners are provided with world-class standards in the acquisition of knowledge and skills. With the substantial expansion of higher education in Kenya, this study hopes that a conversation on acceptable standards of knowledge management would contribute to and revolutionize the academic undertakings of undergraduate students in Kenya and beyond.