Writing Centers in Mexico: Specificities and Challenges in the Development of Academic Enculturation Initiatives

Abstract

Academic literacy is a key challenge at secondary and higher education levels in Mexico, where institutions face challenges in promoting writing skills among students. Against this backdrop, writing centers have emerged as initiatives to support students’ academic training. However, there is still a lack of studies that analyze their organizational characteristics, pedagogical strategies, and specific challenges in the Mexican context in a comparative and descriptive manner. This absence limits the replicability of successful models and the strengthening of collaborative networks that promote academic enculturation in the country. Based on this, this study focuses on some of the centers that have emerged in Mexico and explores their creation, evolution, consolidation, and outreach strategies. With a qualitative approach, comparative design, and descriptive scope, this research analyzes three centers selected as paradigmatic cases through semi-structured interviews with their coordinators, complemented by a literature review and qualitative data analysis based on a categorical matrix. The results identify common patterns, differences, and specific contextual challenges. These findings contribute to the

development of a theoretical-practical framework to guide the strengthening of writing centers in Mexico. In addition, they can serve as guidelines for improving the sustainability of these initiatives and promoting collaborations that consolidate academic literacy as a path to academic enculturation (Carlino, 2013) in the country. This work may be relevant for academics, administrators, and education policymakers interested in strengthening writing skills.