Suggestions - EXPLORING EFL STUDENTS' CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN WRITING THEIR UNDERGRADUATE T

Based on the mentioned conclusions, there are some suggestions that I, as the writer and the researcher, would like to propose to readers, especially EFL

students. First of all, having low proficiency in foreign language would not necessarily equate to incapability of producing good pieces of writing. There are plenty of ways to outsmart the conditions and two of them are to make use of technological tools. There are some useful tools that are free to access such as Grammarly and QuillBot. These AI-powered tools are proven to be very effective in helping EFL students to break through the language barriers.

The second one is seeking help from other people, there will be plenty of qualified people who are willing to share their knowledge. Try to be more proactive and do not shy away from asking people for some support. If you find yourselves in deadlock situations, never exclude the possibilities that some people might be able to provide some help. In addition, it is evident that by asking for help from others, EFL students managed to solve various problems in writing their thesis.

The third suggestion is to be more self-regulated as a person. There are many ways to do so, however, the most effective way to do it is to keep evaluating and learn from the past mistakes. By doing self-reflections, you give your future selves favors and avoid possible hassles that might come in your way. As the implication, it will help EFL students to enhance their performance in foreign language especially in writing thesis. Additionally, doing positive activities would also be a huge help to give your psychological states a space, hence, would minimize the possibilities of having mental fatigue.

Last but not least, for the future researchers. This research is beneficial and useful as references to conduct research under the same topic. Since this research used qualitative research, hence, cannot be generalized to a wider audience.

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52 APPENDIX 1

INFORMED CONSENT FORM

Exploring EFL students' challenges and solutions in writing their undergraduate theses

Dear Participants:

You are invited to participate in a qualitative research project, conducted by Roni Rizki Hutabarat under the research team of Dr. Mukhlash Abrar, S.S., M.Hum and Dr. Nunung Fajaryani, S.Pd., M.Pd. The purpose of the project is to explore the students’ challenges and their potential solutions in writing their theses.

In this project, you will be asked to participate in answering some questions related to the focus of this study. All data, including names, identities, and responses answer sheets will be kept confidential, and will be used for scholarly purposes only. Your signed consent form will be stored in a separate, secure, location from the data in the investigator’s home. Likewise, the consent form will be destroyed upon the completion of the study.

Your decision to take part in this study is entirely voluntary and you may decline to answer any specific questions. To the best of my knowledge, there are no costs associated with taking part in this study. Also, there is no risk that could result from this study and you will not get any personal benefit from taking part in this study.

Please keep a copy of this informed consent for your records. Should you have any queries at any time about the nature of this study and the use of your responses, do not hesitate to contact Mukhlash Abrar and Roni via email: [email protected] / [email protected] or by phone: +447494980806 / +6282272968889

Statement of Consent:

I have read above description of this study. All my questions have been answered to my satisfaction. Furthermore, I have been assured that the researcher will answer any future questions I may have. I voluntary agree to take part in this study. I will retain a copy of this consent form for my records.

Signature/ Initials Date

Signature of Investigator Date

APPENDIX 2

INTERVIEW PROTOCOL 1. Greetings

2. Could you describe yourself?

3. Could you tell me your first experience in writing skill?

Probe:

a. Indonesian writing b. English writing

4. Can you share your thesis writing experiences!

5. Do you find it challenging writing your thesis in English (a foreign language)?

If yes, what kind of challenges do you face?

Probe:

a. Grammar b. Vocabulary c. Paraphrasing d. technical writing

6. . Do you sometimes feel burned out when writing your thesis?

Probe:

a. motivation b. confidence

7. Do you have enough support in writing your thesis? If yes/no, explain it with a clear example!

Probe:

a. unsupportive behavior (friends/supervisor/academic advisor) b. adequate references

c. unsupportive family

8. When do you have difficulty in writing a thesis in English? Do you manage the difficulties by yourself? If yes, how do you overcome your challenges?

Probe:

a. keep writing b. time management

c. taking advantage of technology (language application, YouTube)

9. Do you sometimes ask for help from others to solve the challenges? If yes, who will help you and what kind of help do you get?

Probe:

a. Friends

b. university staff (supervisors/lecturers/academic staff) c. professional (proofreader)

10. Do you think feedback is important in writing the thesis? Why is it important?

Share your experience!

11. Which strategy is the most effective? Please explain with a clear example!

55 APPENDIX 3

SAMPLE OF INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS

Interviewer : Okay, good afternoon. First of all, thank you for willing to

participate as one of the participants in this research. For the start, I would like to convey in advance about my research. So, my research aims to explore the difficulties experienced by EFL students in writing their thesis. So, as one of the participants, I would like to know what difficulties you experienced when you wrote your thesis. OK, now, can you give me an introduction then? Just for the starter.

Interviewee: OK, thank you. My name is P9. I am a student from the English language education study program class of 201xx.

Interviewer : OK, thank you. Let’s proceed to the first question. Could you share your first experience in writing? Whether in Indonesian context or English.

Interviewee: I started being introduced in elementary school, such as new words,

new vocabulary, trying to make simple dialogues between classmates and then moving on to junior high school, I started making text procedures and stories like daily recaps or new daily activities. Later, in college, I took a course interested in writing and started to write a short story. While in Indonesian context, it is almost the same. In elementary school, I started by making short stories or everyday experiences. Later, in junior high school, I began to write story reviews or novel reviews.

57 APPENDIX 4

CODING

61 APPENDIX 5 DOCUMENTS/NOTES

Dalam dokumen EXPLORING EFL STUDENTS' CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS IN WRITING THEIR UNDERGRADUATE THESES A THESIS (Halaman 60-78)