Argumentation is a key requirement of the essay, which is the most common genre that
students have to write. However, how argumentation is realised in disciplinary writing is
often poorly understood by academic tutors, and therefore not adequately taught to students.
This paper presents research into undergraduate students' concepts of argument when they
arrive at university, difficulties they experience with developing arguments in their essays,
and the type and quality of instruction they receive. A three-part definition which describes …