EXPLORING CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES IN ACADEMIC WRITING FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY ACROSS DIFFERENT CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS
Abstract
This study explores the challenges encountered by Jordanian EFL undergraduate students in crafting the problem statement section of academic writing. Categorized into academic skills difficulties and language skills difficulties, the research sheds light on the evident lack of essential skills among both undergraduate and postgraduate students for the effective execution of well-structured research articles. Notably, there is a paucity of prior investigations specifically addressing the challenges faced by Jordanian EFL students in conducting research papers, particularly within the problem statement section. To gather data, twenty Jordanian EFL students underwent a comprehensive research writing skills program, focusing on all sections of the research article, with specific attention to the problem statement section. Participants were allotted a month to complete their research papers. Findings indicate a deficiency in academic skills, particularly in providing a comprehensive topic overview and identifying research gaps within existing literature. Additionally, participants exhibited significant grammatical errors in the formulation of the research problem section. This study underscores the demanding nature of scholarly research articles, emphasizing the need for further attention from researchers and educators to address the challenges faced by learners.
Keywords:
academic writing, undergraduate students, problem statement, , research skills, language difficulties, comparative study, cross-cultural analysis, research articleDownloads
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