Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study

Hamed Abdelreheem Ead

doi:doi:10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15

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Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study

Hamed Abdelreheem Ead^*

Published in Science Journal of Education (Volume 13, Issue 1)

Received: 9 January 2025 Accepted: 24 January 2025 Published: 27 February 2025

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Abstract

Academic writing is a critical skill for PhD students, particularly in the field of chemistry, where the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively is essential for academic success and future contributions to the field. However, many students struggle with clarity, coherence, and engagement due to the intricate nature of writing rules and feedback mechanisms. This study aims to improve the academic writing skills of PhD chemistry students at Cairo University by applying a Design Thinking framework, which emphasizes empathy, creativity, and iterative learning. The research investigates essential writing skills, assesses current student abilities, and evaluates the effectiveness of a Design Thinking-based program in enhancing these skills. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining quantitative surveys to gauge students' perceptions of their writing abilities and the program's impact, with qualitative focus group discussions and individual interviews to gain deeper insights into their experiences and challenges. The findings reveal that integrating Design Thinking into the writing curriculum significantly enhances students' writing skills, confidence, and engagement with the writing process. Additionally, the study identifies the need for tailored support to address the diverse backgrounds of students. By implementing targeted strategies, this research aims to empower PhD students to write more confidently and effectively, ultimately improving their academic experience.

Published in	Science Journal of Education (Volume 13, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15
Page(s)	38-48
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Academic Writing, Design Thinking, PhD Students, Chemistry, Mixed-Methods Research

References

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[2]	Ead, Hamed A., (2024), Exploring the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Academic Writing: Perspectives of PhD Students in the Faculty of Science at Cairo University, SunText Rev Med Clin Res 5(3): 208.
[3]	Ead, Hamed A., (2024), From Lab to Market: Cultivating Entrepreneurial Chemists for a Sustainable Future, SunText Rev Econ Bus 5(2): 209.
[4]	Ead, H. A. (2024). Integrating Design Thinking (DT) into entrepreneurship education: A case study of Cairo University's entrepreneurship club. Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences. (Submitted for Publication).
[5]	ARIAS-FLORES, H.; JADÁN-GUERRERO, J.; GÓMEZ-LUNA, L. Innovación educativa en el aula mediante Design Thinking y Game Thinking. Hamut’ay, v. 6, n. 1, p. 82-95, 2019. Available at: https://revistas.uap.edu.pe/ojs/index.php/HAMUT/article/view/1576 Access: 12 Oct. 2022.
[6]	EDUCA DIGITAL. Design Thinking para Educadores. Educa Digital, 2014. Available at: https://educadigital.org.br/dteducadores/#oque Access: 21 Oct. 2022.
[7]	CÔRTES JÚNIOR, J. C. et al. Design Thinking na Reestruturação do Sistema de Avaliação de Disciplina em um Curso de Medicina. Revista brasileira de educação médica, v. 44, n. 4, p. 1-4, 2020. Available at: https://www.scielo.br/j/rbem/a/vLTSrqXczd9tcst6k8wjKcR/?lang=pt Access: 12 Oct. 2022.
[8]	BHANDARI, A. Design Thinking: from Bibliometric Analysis to Content Analysis, Current Research Trends, and Future Research Directions. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, p. 1-56, 2022. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13132-022-00920-3 Access: 12 Oct. 2022.
[9]	CINTRA, P. R.; SILVA, M. D. P.; FURNIVAL, A. C. Uso do inglês como estratégia de internacionalização da produção científica em Ciências Sociais Aplicadas: estudo de caso na SciELO Brasil. Em Questão, Porto Alegre, v. 26, n. 1, p. 17–41, 2020. Disponível: https://seer.ufrgs.br/EmQuestao/article/view/88528 Access: 18 Sept. 2022.
[10]	ÇEVIKER-ÇINAR, G.; MURA, M.; DEMIRBAĞ-KAPLAN, M. Design Thinking: A New Road Map In Business Education. The Design Journal, v. 20, n. 1, p. 977-987, 2017. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14606925.2017.1353042 Access: 18 Sept. 2022.
[11]	ARAGÃO, E. M. et al. Inovação e Contribuição do Design Thinking: Mapeamento Bibliométrico sobre a Produção Acadêmica nas Bases Scopus e Web Science. Revista Gestão em Análise, v. 10, n. 3, p. 191-203, 2021. Available at: https://periodicos.unichristus.edu.br/gestao/article/view/3939 Access: 17 Oct. 2022.
[12]	ALT, L. O que é Design Thinking? 2017. Available at: https://mamtra.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Coaching-e-Thinking-Desing.pdf Access: 12 Dec. 2022.
[13]	Creswell, J. W. (2002). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
[14]	Johnson, R. (2016). Academic Writing: A Handbook for International Students. London: Routledge.
[15]	Fredrickson, J. (2017). Design Thinking in Education: A Practical Guide. New York: Springer.
[16]	Simon, H. A. (1996). The Sciences of the Artificial. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
[17]	Kwek, D. (2011). Design Thinking: A New Paradigm for Education. International Journal of Educational Management, 25(6), 563-577.

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Ead, H. A. (2025). Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study. Science Journal of Education, 13(1), 38-48. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15

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ACS Style

Ead, H. A. Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study. Sci. J. Educ. 2025, 13(1), 38-48. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15

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AMA Style

Ead HA. Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study. Sci J Educ. 2025;13(1):38-48. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15

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@article{10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15,
  author = {Hamed Abdelreheem Ead},
  title = {Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study
},
  journal = {Science Journal of Education},
  volume = {13},
  number = {1},
  pages = {38-48},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjedu.20251301.15},
  abstract = {Academic writing is a critical skill for PhD students, particularly in the field of chemistry, where the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively is essential for academic success and future contributions to the field. However, many students struggle with clarity, coherence, and engagement due to the intricate nature of writing rules and feedback mechanisms. This study aims to improve the academic writing skills of PhD chemistry students at Cairo University by applying a Design Thinking framework, which emphasizes empathy, creativity, and iterative learning. The research investigates essential writing skills, assesses current student abilities, and evaluates the effectiveness of a Design Thinking-based program in enhancing these skills. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining quantitative surveys to gauge students' perceptions of their writing abilities and the program's impact, with qualitative focus group discussions and individual interviews to gain deeper insights into their experiences and challenges. The findings reveal that integrating Design Thinking into the writing curriculum significantly enhances students' writing skills, confidence, and engagement with the writing process. Additionally, the study identifies the need for tailored support to address the diverse backgrounds of students. By implementing targeted strategies, this research aims to empower PhD students to write more confidently and effectively, ultimately improving their academic experience.
},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study

AU  - Hamed Abdelreheem Ead
Y1  - 2025/02/27
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15
T2  - Science Journal of Education
JF  - Science Journal of Education
JO  - Science Journal of Education
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EP  - 48
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2329-0897
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15
AB  - Academic writing is a critical skill for PhD students, particularly in the field of chemistry, where the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively is essential for academic success and future contributions to the field. However, many students struggle with clarity, coherence, and engagement due to the intricate nature of writing rules and feedback mechanisms. This study aims to improve the academic writing skills of PhD chemistry students at Cairo University by applying a Design Thinking framework, which emphasizes empathy, creativity, and iterative learning. The research investigates essential writing skills, assesses current student abilities, and evaluates the effectiveness of a Design Thinking-based program in enhancing these skills. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining quantitative surveys to gauge students' perceptions of their writing abilities and the program's impact, with qualitative focus group discussions and individual interviews to gain deeper insights into their experiences and challenges. The findings reveal that integrating Design Thinking into the writing curriculum significantly enhances students' writing skills, confidence, and engagement with the writing process. Additionally, the study identifies the need for tailored support to address the diverse backgrounds of students. By implementing targeted strategies, this research aims to empower PhD students to write more confidently and effectively, ultimately improving their academic experience.

VL  - 13
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Hamed Abdelreheem Ead

Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4247-4047

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APA Style

Ead, H. A. (2025). Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study. Science Journal of Education, 13(1), 38-48. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15

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ACS Style

Ead, H. A. Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study. Sci. J. Educ. 2025, 13(1), 38-48. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15

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AMA Style

Ead HA. Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study. Sci J Educ. 2025;13(1):38-48. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15

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@article{10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15,
  author = {Hamed Abdelreheem Ead},
  title = {Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study
},
  journal = {Science Journal of Education},
  volume = {13},
  number = {1},
  pages = {38-48},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjedu.20251301.15},
  abstract = {Academic writing is a critical skill for PhD students, particularly in the field of chemistry, where the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively is essential for academic success and future contributions to the field. However, many students struggle with clarity, coherence, and engagement due to the intricate nature of writing rules and feedback mechanisms. This study aims to improve the academic writing skills of PhD chemistry students at Cairo University by applying a Design Thinking framework, which emphasizes empathy, creativity, and iterative learning. The research investigates essential writing skills, assesses current student abilities, and evaluates the effectiveness of a Design Thinking-based program in enhancing these skills. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining quantitative surveys to gauge students' perceptions of their writing abilities and the program's impact, with qualitative focus group discussions and individual interviews to gain deeper insights into their experiences and challenges. The findings reveal that integrating Design Thinking into the writing curriculum significantly enhances students' writing skills, confidence, and engagement with the writing process. Additionally, the study identifies the need for tailored support to address the diverse backgrounds of students. By implementing targeted strategies, this research aims to empower PhD students to write more confidently and effectively, ultimately improving their academic experience.
},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Applying Design Thinking to Enhance Academic Writing Skills Among PhD Students in Chemistry, Cairo University as a Case Study

AU  - Hamed Abdelreheem Ead
Y1  - 2025/02/27
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15
T2  - Science Journal of Education
JF  - Science Journal of Education
JO  - Science Journal of Education
SP  - 38
EP  - 48
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2329-0897
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20251301.15
AB  - Academic writing is a critical skill for PhD students, particularly in the field of chemistry, where the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively is essential for academic success and future contributions to the field. However, many students struggle with clarity, coherence, and engagement due to the intricate nature of writing rules and feedback mechanisms. This study aims to improve the academic writing skills of PhD chemistry students at Cairo University by applying a Design Thinking framework, which emphasizes empathy, creativity, and iterative learning. The research investigates essential writing skills, assesses current student abilities, and evaluates the effectiveness of a Design Thinking-based program in enhancing these skills. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining quantitative surveys to gauge students' perceptions of their writing abilities and the program's impact, with qualitative focus group discussions and individual interviews to gain deeper insights into their experiences and challenges. The findings reveal that integrating Design Thinking into the writing curriculum significantly enhances students' writing skills, confidence, and engagement with the writing process. Additionally, the study identifies the need for tailored support to address the diverse backgrounds of students. By implementing targeted strategies, this research aims to empower PhD students to write more confidently and effectively, ultimately improving their academic experience.

VL  - 13
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download