Unveiling the Writing Drives of Tertiary Education Students: A Grounded Theory

Abstract

Writing has become one of the most essential skills in almost all the fields. This does not only become a tool of communication but also an avenue for human expression. Having the command on the written language will not only make the students proficient but also competent as an individual. However, most of the students are not motivated to write thus affecting their performance. This qualitative study conducted an in-depth exploration of writing drives among the tertiary education students using the grounded theory. The in-depth interviews with the participants revealed four essential themes with a central category on their motivations to engage in a writing endeavor. “Student’s writing discernment” emerged as the core category with the four essential themes: (1) Interconnection (writing views as a means of connection); (2) Incentives (perceived rewards from writing); (3) Intrinsic Motivation (personal engagement in writing endeavors); and (4) Interaction (increased likelihood in writing). The grounded theory of perception-motivation-engagement: student’s writing discernment unveils an understanding that the way the students view (perception) writing cascades to how they be driven (motivation) to have its practice (engagement). The theory can provide a better lens as to how educators can make necessary changes and adjustments on writing activities considering the perspectives of the students. Tailoring writing activities to student’s interest will make them more involved in the process knowing that this skill, at this time, is no longer a want or an advantage but a necessity.