EFL students' deadlock in argumentative writing: Voices in gender perspective

Juhana Juhana, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia
Hanna Sundari, Universitas Indraprasta PGRI, Indonesia
Widya Rizky Pratiwi, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia

 10.21831/cp.v42i3.59407

Abstract


Writing difficulty and constraints have gained much attention nowadays, particularly in the EFL context. However, the writing difficulties of EFL male and female writers perceived in developing an argumentative essay were still under-researched. To fill the void, this concurrent mixed method study aimed to scrutinize the variation and frequency and explore the perceptions of being argumentative writers among 113 EFL university students in Jakarta, Indonesia. Online questionnaires were distributed through a survey and the framework of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), and the interviews were conducted concurrently. The findings illustrated that EFL male and female writers experienced almost similar major difficulties, including argumentative text genre, language use, difficulty in source/reference, problems in the cognitive process, and other technical difficulties. Further, to be argumentative writers, female writers tend to feel various combinations of feelings and apply more learning strategies. In contrast, male writers express more on the cognitive process of essay completion. However, either male or female writers become more aware of their weaknesses in the English language, such as reading skills.

Keywords


EFL writing difficulty; argumentative writing; university student; mixed-method research

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ahmed, P. H. (2019). Major writing challenges experienced by EFL learners in Soran University. Journal of University of Human Development, 5(3), 120. https://doi.org/10.21928/juhd.v5n3y2019.pp120-126

Al-Haq, F. A.-A., & Ahmed, A. S. E. A. (1994). Discourse problems in argumentative writing. World Englishes, 13(3), 307–323. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-971X.1994.tb00318.x

Al-Seyabi, F., & Tuzlukova, V. (2014). Writing problems and strategies: An investigative study in the Omani School and University Context. Asian Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 3(4), 37–48.

Alase, A. (2017). The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA): A guide to a good qualitative research approach. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 5(2), 9. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.5n.2p.9

Alharbi, M. A. (2019). EFL university students’ voice on challenges and solution in learning academic writing. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8(3), 576–587. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v8i3.15276

Ariyanti, A., & Fitriana, R. (2017). EFL students’ difficulties and needs in essay writing. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research (ASSEHR), 158, 111–121.

Baklouti, A. S. (2011). The impact of genre and disciplinary differences on structural choice: Taxis in research article abstracts. Text and Talk, 31(5), 503–523. https://doi.org/10.1515/TEXT.2011.025

Bazeley, P. (2018). Integrating analyses in mixed methods research. Sage Publication Ltd.

Chala, P. A., & Chapetón, C. M. (2012). EFL argumentative essay writing as a situated-social practice: A review of concepts. Revista Folios, 1(36), 23–36. https://doi.org/10.17227/01234870.36folios23.36

Chen, T. (2002). The problems of univesity EFL writing in Taiwan. The Korea TESOL Journal, 5(1), 59–80.

Costa, P. T., Terracciano, A., & McCrae, R. R. (2001). Gender differences in personality traits across cultures: Robust and surprising findings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(2), 322–331. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.81.2.322

Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. Educational Research, 4. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004

Derewianka, B., & Jones, P. (2016). Teaching Language in Context (Second Ed). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/329265

Dirgeyasa, I. W. (2016). Genre-based approach: What and how to teach and to learn writing. English Language Teaching, 9(9), 45. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v9n9p45

Emilia, E., & Hamied, F. A. (2015). Systemic functional linguistic genre pedagogy (SFLGP) in a tertiary EFL writing context in Indonesia. TEFLIN 26(2), 155. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v26i2/155-182

Fan, C. Y., & Chen, G. D. (2021). A scaffolding tool to assist learners in argumentative writing. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 34(1–2), 159–183. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2019.1660685

Ferretti, R. P., Lewis, W. E., & Andrews-Weckerly, S. (2009). Do goals affect the structure of students’ argumentative writing strategies? Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 577–589. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014702

Flowerdew, J. (1999). Writing for scholarly publication in English: The case of Hong Kong. Journal of Second Language Writing, 8(2), 123–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1060-3743(99)80125-8

Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2009). How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education (7th Ed). McGraw-Hill Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004

Gay, L. R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2012). Educational research: competencies for analysis and application (10nd ed). Pearson Education, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004

Hammad, E. A. (2016). Palestinian university students’ problems with EFL essay writing in an instructional setting. Teaching EFL Writing in the 21st Century Arab World: Realities and Challenges (pp. 99–124). https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46726-3

Hirvela, A. (2017). Argumentation & second language writing: Are we missing the boat? Journal of Second Language Writing, 36. 69–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2017.05.002

Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.4197/edu.11-1.11

Hu, H., Xu, H., & Hao, J. (2019). An SFL approach to gender ideology in the sentence examples in the contemporary Chinese dictionary. Lingua, 220, 17–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2018.12.004

Hyland, K. (1990). A genre description of the argumentative essay. RELC Journal, 21(1), 66–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/003368829002100105

McKinley, J. (2015). Critical Argument and writer identity: Social constructivism as a theoretical framework for EFL Academic Writing. Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, 12(3), 184–207. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427587.2015.1060558

Migiro, S. O., & Magangi, B. a. (2011). Mixed methods: A review of literature and the future of the new research paradigm. African Journal of Business Management, 5(10), 3757–3764. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJBM09.082

Mohamed, M., & Zouaoui, M. (2014). EFL writing hindrances and challenges: The case of second year students of English at Djillali Liabes. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 4(3), 149–156. https://doi.org/10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n3p149

Mohammad, T., & Hazarika, Z. (2016). Difficulties of learning EFL in KSA: Writing skills in context. International Journal of English Linguistics, 6(3), 105. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v6n3p105

Muamaroh, M., Mukti, V. C., & Haryanti, D. (2020). The process and problems of EFL learners in english writing: A case study in international class. Ethical Lingua, 7(2), 405–418.

Murtadho, F. (2021). Metacognitive and critical thinking practices in developing EFL students’ argumentative writing skills. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10(3), 656–666. https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v10i3.31752

Nasser, S. M. (2019). Iraqi EFL students’ difficulties in writing composition: An experimental study (University of Baghdad). International Journal of English Linguistics, 9(1), 178. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v9n1p178

Newell, G. E., Beach, R., Smith, J., & VanDerHeide, J. (2011). Teaching and learning argumentative reading and writing: A review of research. Reading Research Quarterly, 46(3), 273–304. https://doi.org/10.1598/rrq.46.3.4

Noroozi, O., Banihashem, S. K., Taghizadeh Kerman, N., Parvaneh Akhteh Khaneh, M., Babayi, M., Ashrafi, H., & Biemans, H. J. A. (2022). Gender differences in students’ argumentative essay writing, peer review performance and uptake in online learning environments. Interactive Learning Environments, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2022.2034887

Oshima, A., & Hogue, A. (2006). Writing academic English (Fourth Ed). Pearson Education, Inc.

Paltridge, B. (2004). Academic writing. Language Teaching, 37(2), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444804002216

Putro, N.H.P.S. & Lee, J. (2017) Reading interest in a digital age. Reading Psychology, 38(8), 778-807, https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2017.1341966

Putro, N.H.P.S. & Lee, J. (2018) Profiles of readers in a digital age. Reading Psychology, 39(6), 585-601, https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2018.1496502

Rahimi, M., & Katal, M. (2012). Metacognitive strategies awareness and success in learning english as a foreign language: An overview. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 31(2011), 73–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.12.019

Rahmatunisa, W. (2014). Problems faced by Indonesian EFL learners in writing argumentative essay. English Review: Journal of English Education, 3(1), 1–9.

Ramadhanti, D. (2021). Students’ metacognitive awareness and its impact on writing skill. International Journal of Language Education, 5(3), 193–206.

Reichelt, M., Lefkowitz, N., Rinnert, C., & Schultz, J. M. (2012). Key issues in foreign language writing. Foreign Language Annals, 45(1), 22–41. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2012.01166.x

Ruan, Z. (2014). Metacognitive awareness of EFL student writers in a Chinese ELT context. Language Awareness, 23(1–2), 76–91. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2013.863901

Saleh, S., & Ibnian, K. (2017). Writing difficulties encountered by Jordanian EFL learners. Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 05(03), 2321–2799.

Saprina, C. M., Rosyid, A., & Suryanti, Y. (2020). Difficulties in developing idea encountered by students in writing argumentative essay. Journal of English Teaching and Linguistics Studies (JET Li), 5(1), 48–54. https://doi.org/10.55215/jetli.v3i1.3419

Schneer, D. (2014). Rethinking the argumentative essay. TESOL Journal, 5(4), 619–653. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.123

Smith, J. A., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. Sage Publication India Pvt Ltd.

Suhartoyo, E., Dzurriyyatun, N., & Ismiatun, F. (2020). The common mistakes of undergraduate EFL students in writing argumentative essays. ELLit: 2nd Online National Seminar on English Linguistics and Literature, 37–46.

Sundari, H., & Febriyanti, R. H. (2017). Writing apprehension in the writing class: Indonesian EFL learners context. DIEKSIS, 09(01), 34–42.

Tankó, G. (2021). Gender-related differences in performing a test-task in academic writing: Insights from performance data on an argumentative essay task. In Changing perspectives: Studies in English at Eotvos Lorand University (Issue December, pp. 301–326). School of English and American Studies, Faculty of Humanities.

Teddlie, C., & Tashakkori, A. (2009). Foundations of mixed methods research: Integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches in the social and behavioral sciences. SAGE Publications, Inc.

Toba, R., Noor, W. N., & Sanu, L. O. (2019). The current issues of Indonesian efl students’ writing skills: Ability, problem, and reason in writing comparison and contrast essay. Dinamika Ilmu, 19(1), 57–73. https://doi.org/10.21093/di.v19i1.1506

Wahyuni, S., & Umam, M. K. (2017). An analysis on writing anxiety of Indonesian EFL college learners. JEELS, 4(1), 103–126.

Weigle, S. C. (2002). Assesing writing (J. C. Alderson & L. F. Bachman (eds.)). Cambridge University Press.

Weisberg, Y. J., De Young, C. G., & Hirsh, J. B. (2011). Gender differences in personality across the ten aspects of the Big Five. Frontiers in Psychology, 2(AUG), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00178

White, C. (1995). Autonomy and strategy use in distance foreign language learning: Research findings. System, 23(2), 207–221.

Widiati, U., & Cahyono, B. Y. (2006). The teaching of EFL writing in the Indonesian context: the state of the art. Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 13(3), 139–150.

Yang, H. C., & Plakans, L. (2012). Second language writers’ strategy use and performance on an integrated reading-listening-writing task. TESOL Quarterly, 46(1), 80–103. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.6

Zhang, Y. (2018). An investigation into the development of structure and evidence use in argumentative writing. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 8(11), 1441. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.0811.08

Zhu, W. (2001). Performing argumentative writing in English: Difficulties, processes, and strategies. TESL Canada Journal, 19(1), 34–50.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v42i3.59407

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


 

Social Media:

     

 

 Creative Commons License
Jurnal Cakrawala Pendidikan by Lembaga Pengembangan dan Penjaminan Mutu Pendidikan UNY is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/cp/index.

Translator
 
 web analytics
View Our Stats