Partnership Academic Literacy Programme

This case study research evaluates an in-sessional support programme which was developed as a partnership between EAP practitioners and academic staff from the receiving department. With data generated both from these two principal stakeholders and from the learners on the programme, the research explores the dynamics of the programme design process, the principles on which the programme was constructed and the effectiveness of the programme as an intervention within this specific academic context. A key focus of the paper, however, is also an exploration of the means by which such a programme can be most meaningfully evaluated as a result of the interplay between the stakeholders involved. Based on the findings, therefore, the key emerging issues are represented in a model which recognises the dynamic nature of in-sessional language programme design and the inter-relatedness of the interests of the different stakeholders. This proposed model potentially serves to inform decision-making regarding both the initial design and the subsequent evaluation of embedded in-sessional programmes in a range of contexts.