The Writing of Academic Texts at the University: A Reflection from the Teaching Experience at the National Pedagogical University

Abstract

This paper aims to address the teaching-learning processes of writing at the university from the perspective of critical academic literacy (Cassany and Castellà, 2010; Cassany, 2015; and Barton & Hamilton, 2004). This question is addressed based on the investigator's experience as a professor of education teachers who study at the National Pedagogical University (UPN), in the Bachelor's Degree in Preschool Education and the Master's Degree in Basic Education. This research suggests that the problem lies in the fact that writing practices are not encouraged in the university institution, this is because their character and epistemic potential are not considered; in other words, it is not believed that knowledge is also built and transformed in writing processes. Currently, the teaching of writing in educational institutions does not start from an approach that deals with generating an identity of authorship in their students, or that allows them to position themselves from their speeches in front of their reality, it does not even consider writing as a means to generate and transform knowledge. Although the implementation of individual actions from the teachers' practices is relevant, the institutional ones are more so; for example, to restructure the educational programs so that from the curricular the processes of critical academic literacy are emphasized. Some questions that guide this research are: what problems regarding academic literacy do basic education teachers who study undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the National Pedagogical University face? How have they faced these difficulties in their professional career as a higher education teacher? And, what suggestions can be made to improve the writing processes of university students?