The Future of Education

Writing centres have been an integral part of North American higher education since the 1930s, serving as support systems to enhance student writing, uphold academic standards, and promote inclusive access to academic discourse. As English increasingly becomes the medium of instruction in higher education across the MENA region, several institutions have adopted the North American model of writing centres. Despite their growth, little is known about how these centres function in local contexts or the challenges tutors face. This qualitative case study investigates how tutors at a writing centre in Bahrain perceive and construct their roles within tertiary education. Drawing on Foucault’s concept of technologies of the self, the research explores how tutors navigate their professional identities and the tensions they encounter during tutoring sessions. Findings reveal that tutors’ roles in the Bahraini context have been adapted and redefined beyond traditional models. In addition to improving student writing, tutors engage in promoting the writing centre, fostering a safe and creative space, and encouraging independent thinking. These evolving roles highlight the unique institutional, cultural, and linguistic challenges shaping writing centre practices in the region.

Keywords: higher education; MENA region; tutor identity; technologies of the self; qualitative case study.

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