Investigating Investment

Investigating Investment is a research-driven project developed in response to the Writing and Language Program (WLP) Kitchen’s core inquiry into writing, pedagogy, and student learning. It seeks to contribute meaningfully to conversations around effective literacy instruction and writing pedagogy for first-year students, with a focus on how academic writing courses can better engage students by addressing the concept of “investment” in their learning.

The project approaches investment not simply as a matter of internal student motivation, but as a multidimensional construct shaped by a range of social, economic, cultural, ideological, and institutional factors. It recognizes that students’ willingness and drive to learn—particularly in courses that develop academic literacy—are deeply embedded in both personal aspirations and structural influences. By examining investment through this nuanced lens, the project aims to illuminate the diverse pressures, supports, and constraints that shape how students engage with academic writing.

This inquiry is especially relevant in the context of language learning and literacy acquisition, where communication skills are closely tied to students’ perceptions of academic and professional success. For many, mastery of academic English is not only a tool for achievement but also a marker of being recognized as educated, capable, and legitimate within academic and social spheres. However, structural disparities—such as uneven educational backgrounds or linguistic inequities—can obstruct this investment and prevent some students from fully integrating into writing classrooms, regardless of their desire to learn.

The rise of Generative AI further complicates the landscape of academic literacy, challenging traditional goals of writing instruction and prompting new questions about authenticity, authorship, and relevance. In this shifting environment, understanding what drives or inhibits student investment becomes all the more urgent.

The primary goal of Investigating Investment is to directly engage first-year students in reflecting on their own experiences in the First-Year Writing Seminar (FYWS) at NYU Abu Dhabi. Through interviews, surveys, and other research methodologies, the project will explore how students understand their investment in academic literacy and the factors that support or hinder that engagement. It aims to identify practical strategies for fostering more equitable and motivating classroom environments that recognize the complexity of students’ identities, goals, and challenges.

Given NYUAD’s uniquely diverse student body—representing a broad range of nationalities, educational systems, and linguistic backgrounds—the project is especially well-positioned to uncover valuable insights into student investment in writing. The guiding question asks: What are the factors influencing students’ investment in learning academic literacy in the FYWS?

Project Researchers