A Literature Review on Factors Affecting EFL Students’ Difficulties in Thesis Writing

Authors

  • Eldis Febriyanti Universitas Islam Riau
  • Rugaiyah Universitas Islam Riau

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58194/jetli.v4i1.2865

Keywords:

EFL students, thesis writing, linguistic difficulties, psychological factors, sociocultural barriers

Abstract

This study employs a literature review method that aims to investigate the factors affecting EFL students’ difficulties in writing their undergraduate theses. Writing a thesis in English poses numerous challenges for EFL learners, as it demands strong academic writing skills, sufficient language proficiency, and an understanding of research methodology. The purpose of this research is to identify three dominant categories of influencing factors: linguistic, psychological, and sociocultural. Data were collected by analyzing ten relevant journal articles retrieved from SciSpace, Consensus, and Google Scholar using the Publish or Perish application. The results show that linguistic limitations, psychological barriers such as anxiety and lack of motivation, and sociocultural challenges like insufficient academic support significantly contribute to students' struggles. These findings are expected to assist educators in creating more effective strategies and supportive environments to help EFL students succeed in thesis writing.

Author Biography

Rugaiyah, Universitas Islam Riau

This study employs a literature review method that aims to investigate the factors affecting EFL students’ difficulties in writing their undergraduate theses. Writing a thesis in English poses numerous challenges for EFL learners, as it demands strong academic writing skills, sufficient language proficiency, and an understanding of research methodology. The purpose of this research is to identify three dominant categories of influencing factors: linguistic, psychological, and sociocultural. Data were collected by analyzing ten relevant journal articles retrieved from SciSpace, Consensus, and Google Scholar using the Publish or Perish application. The results show that linguistic limitations, psychological barriers such as anxiety and lack of motivation, and sociocultural challenges like insufficient academic support significantly contribute to students' struggles. These findings are expected to assist educators in creating more effective strategies and supportive environments to help EFL students succeed in thesis writing.

References

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Monica Lestari, D. (2020). AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING UNDERGRADUATE THESIS AT ENGLISH EDUCATION PROGRAM OF MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF BENGKULU (Issue 1). https://fkip.ummetro.ac.id/journal/index.php/english

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Rizwan, M. S. M., & Naas, A. R. F. (2022). Factors Affecting Undergraduates’ Difficulties in Writing Thesis. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 244–250. https://doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.2022.3.10.14

Rohim, A., Syah Putra, A., Abduh Almanar, M., & Education Study Program, E. (2023). STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN FINISHING A THESIS OF ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM AT MUHAMMADIYAH UNIVERSITY OF TANGERANG. An English-Indonesian Journal for English, Education and Culture, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.31000/globish.v7i2

Santia, J., Tadris, E., & Program, S. (2022). PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING BACHELOR STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING THESIS (A Mixed-Method Research of English Students of IAIN Curup in Academic Year of 2020/2021).

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Yuliawati, L. (2021). THE EFFECTS OF VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR MASTERY ON STUDENTS’ WRITING SKILL. Journal of English Language Learning (JELL), 5(2), 113–118.

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Published

2025-03-31

How to Cite

Febriyanti, E., & Rugaiyah. (2025). A Literature Review on Factors Affecting EFL Students’ Difficulties in Thesis Writing. Journal of English Teaching and Linguistic Issues (JETLI), 4(1), 66–74. https://doi.org/10.58194/jetli.v4i1.2865