Journal Screenshot

International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2222-6990

Challenges of English Academic Writing among Saudi Higher Education Students

Asma Abdullah F. Alasbali, Harmi Izzuan Baharum, Zuhana Mohamed Zin

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i9/18648

Open access

This paper aimed to provide an overview of the challenges of English academic writing and to investigate how students' learning environments and pedagogical approaches to teaching affect it. Data was collected using online survey. The sample consists of 325 Saudi undergraduate students through a purposive sampling method. The results showed that challenges of mastering, pedagogical approach of teaching and learning environment were a positive significance influence on Mastering of English academic writing among university students in Saudi Arabia. The results provide EFL students and their educators and educational policy makers with a deeper understanding of challenges that the students may face in Higher Education. Researchers should conduct further research on students from diverse disciplines, genders, and ages, as well as from various language institutions and universities.

Ababneh, I. (2020). English Writing Errors Committed by Saudi Students: A Study of Two Female University Groups. International Journal of English Linguistics, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v10n3p124.
Aljumah, F. H. (2012). Saudi learner perceptions and attitudes towards the use of blogs in teaching English writing course for EFL majors at Qassim University. English language teaching, 5(1), 100-116.
Al-Khairy, M. A. (2013). Saudi English-Major Undergraduates' Academic Writing problems: A Taif University Perspective. English Language Teaching, 6(6), 1-12. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n6p1.
Alkubaidi, M. A. (2014). The Relationship between Saudi English Major University Students' Writing Performance and Their Learning Style and Strategy Use. English Language Teaching, 7(4), 83-95.
Al-Sobhi, B. M. S., & Preece, A. S. (2018). Teaching English speaking skills to the Arab students in the Saudi school in Kuala Lumpur: Problems and solutions. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 6(1), 1-11.
http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.6n.1p.1.
Alzamil, A. (2020). An Investigation of Writing Errors Made by Saudi English-Major Students. International Journal of English Linguistics, 10(2).
https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v10n2p92.
Ankawi, A. (2015). The academic writing challenges faced by Saudi students studying in New Zealand (Doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of Technology).
Buckingham, L. (2008). Development of English Academic Writing Competence by Turkish Scholars. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 3.
Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. Modern methods for business research, 295(2), 295-336.
Chin, W. W. (2010). How to write up and report PLS analyses. In Handbook of partial least squares (pp. 655-690). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Cho, K. S., & Krashen, S. (2019). Pleasure reading in a foreign language and competence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. TEFLON Journal, 30(2), 231-236. http://dx.doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v30i2/231-236.
Cohen S. Perceived stress in a probability sample of the United States. In: The social psychology of health. Thousand Oaks, CA, US: Sage Publications, Inc; 1988. p. 31–67. (The Claremont Symposium on Applied Social Psychology.).
Dearden, J. (2018). The changing roles of EMI academics and English language specialists. In Key issues in English for specific purposes in Higher Education (pp. 323-338). Springer.
Defede, N., Magdaraog, N. M., Thakkar, S. C., & Bizel, G. (2021). Understanding How Social Media Is Influencing the Way People Communicate: Verbally and Written. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 13(2), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v13n2p1.
Durga, V., & Rao, C. (2018). Developing students’ writing skills in English: A process approach. Journal for Research Scholars and Professionals of English Language Teaching, 2(6), 108. Education, 36(4), 386-399.
Endahati, N. (2020). The implementation of inductive approach in pre-intermediate structure subject to English education study program students pgri university of yogyakarta. ELTICS: Journal of English Language Teaching and English Linguistics, 4(2).
Falk, R. F., & Miller, N. B. (1992). A primer for soft modeling. University of Akron Press.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error: Algebra and statistics.
Gheyathaldin, L., & Shishakly, R. (2020). Impact of English Language Proficiency on the Academic Performance of Business Students. The Asian ESP Journal, 245.
Grami, G. M. A. (2010). The Effects of Integrating Peer Feedback into University-Level ESL Writing Curriculum: A Comparative Study in a Saudi Context (Unpublished doctoral dissertation Newcastle University.
https://theses.ncl.ac.uk/dspace/bitstream/10443/933/1/grami.
Hafiz, M., & Omar, A.-M. A. (2018). Analysis of Syntactic Errors in English Writing: A case Study of Jazan University Preparatory Year Students. Journal of Education and Practice, 9(11), 113-120
Hair Jr, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Gudergan, S. P. (2017). Advanced issues in partial least squares structural equation modeling. SAGE publications.
Hair Jr, J., Sarstedt, M., Hopkins, L., & Kuppelwieser, G. V. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) An emerging tool in business research. European business review, 26(2), 106-121.
Hair, J. F. (2006). Successful strategies for teaching multivariate statistics. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on (pp. 1-5).
Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Black, W. B., & Tatham, R. L. (2010). Multivariate Data Analysis: Prentice Hall.
Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2013). Partial least squares structural equation modeling: Rigorous applications, better results and higher acceptance. Long range planning, 46(1-2), 1-12.
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European business review.
Han, Y., & Hyland, F. (2015). Exploring learner engagement with written corrective feedback in a Chinese tertiary EFL classroom. Journal of second language writing, 30, 31-44.
Heo, J.-Y., & Sim, J.-Y. (2015). Korean students’ perspectives on L2 writing difficulty, needs, and challenges. Studies in English Education, 20(2), 161–188. Retrieved March 2, 2023, from http://www.dbpia.co.kr/Journal/ArticleDetail/NODE06384113
Hussin, A. A. (2018). Education 4.0 made simple: Ideas for teaching. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 6(3), 92-98.
http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.6n.3p.92.
Huynh, T.N. (2021). A Complex Dynamic Systems Approach to Foreign Language Learners’ Anxiety in the Emergency Online Language Classrooms. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 22(3), 200-229.
Javid, C. Z., & Umer, M. (2014). Saudi EFL learners’ writing problems: a move towards solution. Proceeding of the Global Summit on Education GSE, 4-5.
Kalyani, D., & Rajasekaran, K. (2018). Innovative teaching and learning. Journal of applied and advanced research, 3(1), 23-25. https://dx.doi.org/10.21839/jaar.2018.v3S1.162.
Sabet, K. M., & Salamatbakhsh, M. (2020). Predictive Validity of English Proficiency Levels for Academic Achievement. Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 9(3), 32-45.
Ravari, K. Z., & Tan, K. E. (2019). A qualitative investigation of strategies and experiences of non-native students writing master’s theses. Journal of applied research in higher education, 11(2), 310-324.
Khusniddinovich, S. M. (2018). The importance of grammar in teaching the foreign language. ?????????? ????? ? ???????????, 2, 7 (29).
Kotamjani, S. S., & Hussin, H. (2017). Perceptions of challenges in writing academically: Iranian postgraduate students’ perspectives. International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, 6(4), 1-4.
Manchishi, C. P., Ndhlovu, D., & Mwanza, S. D. (2015). Common mistakes committed and challenges faced in research proposal writing by University of Zambia postgraduate students. Int of Humanit Soc Sci Educ, 2 (3), 126-138.
Mayan, O. H. I. (2019). Understanding Students' Experiences with E-learning 2.0 in Australian Higher Education: A Grounded Theory Study [Thesis, Monash University]. Australia. https://doi.org/10.26180/5d2ec97379ecc.
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.
Noori, A. (2020). An Investigation of Undergraduate English Major Students’ Difficulties in Academic Writing. Journal of Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, 5(2).
Oducado, R. M. F., Sotelo, M., Ramirez, L. M., Habaña, M., & Belo-Delariarte, R. G. (2020). English Language Proficiency and Its Relationship with Academic Performance and the Nurse Licensure Examination. Nurse Media Journal of Nursing, 10(1), 46-56. http://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/medianers.
Qasem, F., Ali, F., Qasem, A., Zayid, I. M., & Journal, E. (2019). The Challenges and Problems Faced by Students in the Early Stage of Writing Research Projects in L2, University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia European Journal of Special Education Research the challenges and problems faced by students in the early stage of writing. Of Special Education Research, 4(1), 33. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2557036
Qayoom, N., & Saleem, M. (2020). A Study of Saudi Advanced Academic Writing Students’ Perceptions of Research Essays, and Gaps in Their Knowledge. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(6).
Sajjad, I., Sarwat, S., Imran, M., & Shahzad, S. K. (2021). Examining the academic writing challenges faced by university students in KFUEIT. PalArch's Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 18(10), 1759-1777.
Scontras, G., Fuchs, Z., & Polinsky, M. (2015). Heritage language and linguistic theory. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 1545. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01545.
Setyowati, L., Sukmawa, S., & Latief, M. A. (2017). Solving the students’ problems in writing argumentative essay through the provision of planning. Celt: A Journal of Culture, English Language Teaching & Literature, 17(1), 86-102.
Suherdi, D. (2018). SMSLEFA: An alternative synergistic multilayered analysis of students’ learning engagement in EFL context. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8(1), 11-20.
Tracy, S. J. (2019). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact. John Wiley & Sons.

(Alasbali et al., 2023)
To Cite this Article: Alasbali, A. A. F., Baharum, H. I., & Zin, Z. M. (2023). Challenges of English Academic Writing among Saudi Higher Education Students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(9), 1989–1989.