STUDENTS’ PROBLEMS OF ACADEMIC WRITING COMPETENCIES, CHALLENGES IN ONLINE THESIS SUPERVISION, AND THE SOLUTIONS: THESIS SUPERVISORS’ PERSPECTIVES

Joko Nurkamto; Djatmika Djatmika; Lastika Ary Prihandoko

doi:10.15639/teflinjournal.v33i1/123-147

Authors

Joko Nurkamto
jokonurkamto@staff.uns.ac.id
Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Djatmika Djatmika Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia
Lastika Ary Prihandoko Universitas Sebelas Maret, Indonesia

Vol. 33 No. 1 (2022)

Articles

Downloads

PDF

Abstract
How to Cite
Metrics
References

The COVID-19 outbreak has brought about the offline-to-online transformation of EFL undergraduate thesis supervision along with its challenging complexities. Anchored in a combination of realistic and constructivist epistemologies, this explanatory sequential design of mixed-method research aimed to investigate students’ problems of academic writing competencies, challenges in online thesis supervision, and solutions to the problems and challenges according to thesis supervisors’ perspectives. Data was first gathered using a closed-ended questionnaire involving fifty thesis supervisors from Central Java and Papua universities as the respondents. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to process this data. Twenty-three of the respondents were then purposively selected for interviews and focus group discussions, the data of which was analyzed using interactive model-driven analyses. This study revealed students’ problems of academic writing competencies covering the dimensions of thesis elements and writing performances. Subsequently, multiple challenges were unraveled pertaining to the issues of technological competencies, time management, complexities of students’ field research, and students’ unstable motivation. The supervisors proposed contextual solutions and those demonstrating their interventions for improving students’ metacognition, self-efficacy, and growth mindsets in academic writing. Further studies are expected to work on more in-depth mixed-method investigations that examine the interactions of motivational and strategic constructs predicting academic writing competencies to dive more deeply into the problems, challenges, and solutions concerning the online thesis supervision

Nurkamto, J., Djatmika, D., & Prihandoko, L. A. (2022). STUDENTS’ PROBLEMS OF ACADEMIC WRITING COMPETENCIES, CHALLENGES IN ONLINE THESIS SUPERVISION, AND THE SOLUTIONS: THESIS SUPERVISORS’ PERSPECTIVES. TEFLIN Journal, 33(1), 123–147. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v33i1/123-147

Download Citation

Agricola, B. T., Prins, F. J., van der Schaaf, M. F., & van Tartwijk, J. (2020). Supervisor and student perspectives on undergraduate thesis supervision in higher education. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 6(5), 877-897. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2020.1775115

Almeatani, M., Alotaibi, H., Alasmari, E., Meccawy, M., & Alghamdi, B. (2019). Thesis supervision mobile system for enhancing student-supervisor communication. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 13(6), 4–14. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v13i06.9533

Bai, B., & Wang, J. (2020). The role of growth mindset, self-efficacy and intrinsic value in self-regulated learning and English language learning achievements. Language Teaching Research, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820933190

Bandura, A. (2012). On the functional properties of perceived self-efficacy revisited. Journal of Management, 38(1), 9–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206311410606

Barclay, C., Donalds, C., & Osei-Bryson, K. M. (2018). Investigating critical success factors in online learning environments in higher education systems in the Caribbean. Information Technology for Development, 24(3), 582–611. https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.2018.1476831

Briesmaster, M. (2017). Coherence and cohesion in EFL students' writing production: The impact of a metacognition-based intervention. Ikala, 22(1), 183–202. https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.v22n02a02

Callinan, C. J., van der Zee, E., & Wilson, G. (2018). Developing essay writing skills: An evaluation of the modelling behaviour method and the influence of student self-efficacy. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 42(5), 608–622. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2017.1302564

Çandarl, D., Bayyurt, Y., & Mart, L. (2015). Authorial presence in l1 and l2 novice academic writing: Cross-linguistic and cross-cultural perspectives. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 20, 192–202. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jeap.2015.10.001

Casado-Lumbreras, C., & Colomo-Palacios, R. (2014). Online coaching in thesis supervision: A qualitative study. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, 489–495. https://doi.org/10.1145/2669711.2669944

Cennetkuşu, N. G. (2017). International students' challenges in academic writing: A case study from a prominent U.S. university. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 13(2), 309–323. https://www.jlls.org/index.php/jlls/article/view/676/317

Chen, W., & Hapgood, S. (2021). Understanding knowledge, participation and learning in L2 collaborative writing: A metacognitive theory perspective. Language Teaching Research, 25(2), 256–281. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168819837560

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed). Sage Publications.

Efriana, L. (2021). Problems of online learning during COVID-19 pandemic in EFL classroom and the solution. Journal of English Language Teaching and Literature, 2(1), 38–47. https://jurnal.stkipmb.ac.id/index.php/jelita/article/view/74

Gómez-Rey, P., Barbera, E., & Fernández-Navarro, F. (2016). Measuring teachers and learners' perceptions of the quality of their online learning experience. Distance Education, 37(2), 146–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2016.1184396

Huang, X., Zhang, J., & Hudson, L. (2019). Impact of math self-efficacy, math anxiety, and growth mindset on math and science career interest for middle school students: The gender moderating effect. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 34(3), 621–640. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212018-0403-z

Kiriakos, C. M., & Tienari, J. (2018). Academic writing as love. Management Learning, 49(3), 263–277. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507617753560

Malaga-Toboła, U., Boulven, I., Kocira, S., Szparaga, A., & Henri, A. (2019). The use of information sources and online databases for writing theses by students of selected studies. E3S Web of Conferences, 132, 3–8. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/201913201017

Martin, F., Wang, C., & Sadaf, A. (2018). Student perception of helpfulness of facilitation strategies that enhance instructor presence, connectedness, engagement and learning in online courses. Internet and Higher Education, 37, 52–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2018.01.003

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook. SAGE Publications, Inc.

Ortiz-Catalan, M., Middleton, A., & Gustafsson, M. (2019). Supervision of M.Sc. Theses using the writing of a scientific article as a framework to increase efficiency and quality of research outcomes. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS, 1436–1439. https://doi.org/10.1109/EMBC.2019.8856364

Osman, M. E. (2020). Global impact of COVID-19 on education systems: The emergency remote teaching at Sultan Qaboos. Journal of Education for Teaching, 46(4), 463–471. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2020.1802583

Peng, H. (2018). Supervisors' views of the generic difficulties in thesis/dissertation writing of Chinese EFL research students. The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 5(1), 93–103. https://caes.hku.hk/ajal/index.php/ajal/article/view/524

Pitenoee, M. R., & Modaberi, A. (2017). The effect of cognitive and metacognitive writing strategies on content of the Iranian intermediate EFL learners' writing. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8(3), 594–600. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0803.19

Pramana, C., Susanti, R., Violinda, Q., Yoteni, F., Rusdiana, E., Prihanto, Y. J. N., Purwoko, R. Y., Rahmah, N., Hasnawati, Fakhrurrazi, Yendri, O., Arkiang, F., Purwahida, R., & Haimah. (2020). Virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A disruptive technology in higher education in indonesia. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 12(2), 3209–3216. https://doi.org/10.31838/IJPR/2020.12.02.430

Razi, S. (2015). Development of a rubric to assess academic writing incorporating plagiarism detectors. SAGE Open, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244015590162

Roberts, L. D., & Seaman, K. (2018). Good undergraduate dissertation supervision: Perspectives of supervisors and dissertation coordinators. International Journal for Academic Development, 23(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2017.1412971

Sadeghi, K., & Khajepasha, A. S. (2015). Thesis writing challenges for non-native MA students. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 20(3), 357–373. https://doi.org/10.1080/13596748.2015.1063808

Shahsavar, Z., & Kourepaz, H. (2020). Postgraduate students' difficulties in writing their theses literature review Postgraduate students' difficulties in writing their theses literature review. Cogent Education, 7(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2020.1784620

Strebel, F., Gürtler, S., Hulliger, B., & Lindeque, J. (2021). Laissez-faire or guidance? Effective supervision of bachelor theses. Studies in Higher Education, 46(4), 866–884. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1659762

Teklesellassie, Y. (2019). Views of summer TEFL postgraduate students and their supervisors on the practice of thesis supervision in the Ethiopian context. Pasaa, 58, 131–165. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1227003.pdf

Truax, M. L. (2018). The impact of teacher language and growth mindset feedback on writing motivation. Literacy Research and Instruction, 57(2), 135–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388071.2017.1340529

Vincent, C., Tremblay-Wragg, É., Déri, C., Plante, I., & Mathieu Chartier, S. (2021). How writing retreats represent an ideal opportunity to enhance PhD candidates' writing self-efficacy and self-regulation. Teaching in Higher Education, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2021.1918661

Zhang, Y. (Olivia), & Hyland, K. (2021). Advice-giving, power and roles in theses supervisions. Journal of Pragmatics, 172, 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2020.11.002

STUDENTS’ PROBLEMS OF ACADEMIC WRITING COMPETENCIES, CHALLENGES IN ONLINE THESIS SUPERVISION, AND THE SOLUTIONS: THESIS SUPERVISORS’ PERSPECTIVES

Authors

Downloads

Downloads

Login

Scopus Indexing

IndexedBy

Indexed on

Visitors

Statistics

indexing

Address

Contact Info: