From Surface to Substance: Analyzing Student Revision Processes in Academic Writing

This study investigates the writing and revision processes of upper-level undergraduate students. The sample consisted of 20 students in a writing-intensive multidisciplinary social science course at a large public university in the Midwest. The research process began with students using AI-generated output about Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory as a first draft and then reflecting on subsequent drafts. Through qualitative analysis of students’ first-person reflections over the course of three drafts, the research sought to explore the organic process students undertake when completing a typical writing assignment. The study also sought to highlight ways to improve scaffolding of undergraduate writing assignments. Students mainly reflected on simplistic revision strategies (like spelling and grammar) and the purpose for using these strategies. There was little reference to higher-order tasks like comparing findings or applying the theory. Findings suggest that while students often emphasize product over process, they struggle with deep reflection and critical revision. From a teaching perspective, the study highlights the need for updated instructional approaches to better support student engagement in writing as a process, rather than as a merely graded task and reflects on additional teaching practices and implications for strengthening writing assignments.