INVESTIGATING THE OBSTACLES IN CRAFTING RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENTS: A CASE ANALYSIS OF JORDANIAN UNDERGRADUATE EFL STUDENTS

Abstract

This research delves into the investigation of challenges confronted by Jordanian undergraduate EFL students in crafting the problem statement section of their research papers. The identified difficulties are categorized into two primary domains: academic skills challenges and language skills challenges. The study recognizes a deficiency in essential skills among both undergraduate and postgraduate students required for the effective execution of a well-structured research article, motivating the initiation of this research. Notably, there is a noticeable gap in existing literature regarding the examination of challenges specifically faced by Jordanian EFL students in the overall process of conducting a research paper, with a particular focus on the problem statement section. To gather pertinent data, a group of twenty Jordanian EFL students underwent a targeted research writing skills program, comprehensively covering all sections of a research article, with special emphasis on the intricacies of the research problem section—the primary focal point of this study. Participants were allotted one month to complete their research papers before submission. Findings indicate a deficiency in academic skills necessary for constructing a well-articulated problem statement section. Specifically, the majority of participants struggled to provide an adequate overview of their topics and identify research gaps within existing literature. Additionally, the study reveals the prevalence of serious grammatical errors in the formulation of the research problem section. This study underscores the challenging nature of producing a scholarly research article, emphasizing the imperative need for further exploration by researchers and educators to identify and address the challenges faced by learners