The effect of required standards of literacy within HE assessment upon three specific student groups.

Standards of academic literacy are both expected and graded within a large number of higher education assessments, and therefore form a key part of a student’s degree programme. However, reaching these standards of literacy is a greater challenge for certain students. This study seeks to understand how these challenges effect first generation students, neurodiverse students and international students. Student volunteers who identified as belonging to at least one of the three groups, were invited to share the impact of academic standards of literacy upon them within separate focus groups. The qualitative data was gathered and thematically analysed, allowing for comparison to be drawn between the three student groups. A reliance upon the lecturer to support students’ learning and development of academic literacy was a critical factor, with implications for assessment and rubric design, which would benefit from further research. The struggle to achieve academic literacy required each student group to take additional steps when compared to their peers, with negative effects upon their mental wellbeing. The findings in this study suggest the deficit approach to teaching academic literacy adopted by most institutions is not succeeding in reaching those students who most require support mastering these skills. This suggests a more inclusive approach to academic literacy teaching would be advantageous, and more reflective of the current situation within higher education.