Navigating tensions in writing a master’s thesis: Support from extended communities

Abstract

Following activity theory, this study investigated the tensions in completing a master’s thesis and the resources to negotiate those tensions. The participants were English as an additional language (EAL) master’s students enrolled in a thesis writing seminar in the TESOL program at an Anglophone university. Data included class observations, interviews with the participating students and the instructor, students’ written assignments, and other relevant documents. Findings show that tensions, when effectively mediated, can serve as catalysts for students’ agency. To navigate the tensions in tools, rules, and division of labour, students sought resources from the extended community to fulfil the requirements of their master’s thesis in alignment with institutional guidelines and the instructor’s expectations. The third layer of the extended community, students’ social networks, shows that academic success is often less a product of individual merit and more a result of capital conversion, where other forms of capital can be converted into resources that help students achieve academic success. Ultimately, when writing takes place in a supportive environment, students will likely have greater confidence in academic writing and grow as academic writers.