Difficulties Faced by UK-Based Saudi Doctoral Students in Writing Theses

Abstract

This paper examines the writing difficulties of UK based Saudi doctoral students. It is framed around Wenger’s (1998) concept of participation in a community of practice (CoP). Using a qualitative methodology, the paper reports the results of an open-ended survey of 61 Saudi PhD students, across various UK universities, and closely examines the cases of 6 of those students and their supervisors through interviewing both students and their supervisors, focusing on their interactions with their theses topics, the English language, the supervisory relationship and their new academic environment. The findings reveal that academic language is the principal impediment to students thesis writing development. However, a key to the improvement of academic language was active participation in scholarly communities of practice. In conclusion, the paper underlines the value of qualitative studies, underpinned by authentic voices from the participants, in helping educators develop new insights about the thesis writing process. Additionally, it provides direction for research and practice in thesis writing curricula design and supervisory support both within the UK and the Saudi Arabian academic contexts.