Exploring the Construct of Academic Literacy as Perceived by Iranian EAP Teachers

Despite the importance of the concept of academic literacy (AL) in EAP, there is a lack of comprehensive study to know its underlying components. The present pilot study was set out to explore the components of academic literacy of university EAP students as perceived by Iranian EAP teachers. Thus, to this end, using purposive sampling, 120 Iranian EAP instructors, teaching in ten Iranian state universities, were selected and asked to respond to the interview questions and complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed through a thorough review and analysis of the related literature and the content analysis of EAP teachers' responses to the interview questions. Next, the questionnaire was distributed among the participants to be completed either electronically or through pen-and-pencil. Then, through an exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis, nine components were extracted: (1) familiarity with different genres, (2) familiarity with academic ethics and honesty, (3) familiarity with context and contextual meaning, (4) knowledge of the four language skills, (5) critical thinking ability, (6) familiarity with target discourse community, (7) teachers' familiarity with academic literacy concept and components, (8) scientific article writing ability, and (9) familiarity with computer and technology. The result of the study can help EAP instructors, researchers, and materials developers in better understanding of the concept of AL.