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Cited by 8EFL/ESL Teaching and LearningEnglish Language Learning and TeachingDiscourse Analysis in Language Studies

EFL STUDENTS’ CHALLENGES IN WRITING RESEARCH PROPOSALS

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Gai Mali, Yustinus Calvin·2023·LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching
DOI 10.24071/llt.v26i1.5296
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Abstract

This qualitative study delves closely into students’ challenges of writing specific sections (i.e., introduction, literature review, and method) of their research proposal and coping strategies to deal with those challenges, specifically in online learning environments amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Data were garnered from six Indonesian EFL undergraduates taking a research design course at a private university in Central Java, Indonesia. Selected based on the intensity sampling technique, these students were involved in an in-depth semi-structured interview session with the researcher to share their voices on the writing challenges and coping strategies as well as parts of the course they found useful and practical suggestions for class improvement. The data analysis results indicated that writing a good research proposal might be challenging for the research participants, considering the various challenges they experienced when writing sections of their research proposal. Different coping strategies to deal with those challenges, useful parts of the course and suggestions for class improvement were presented and discussed in the discourse of the reviewed literature. The paper ends with some directions for future research.

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  • Students tend to rely on general search engines or cite studies without critically assessing the relevance of those studies to their overall research.

    “They tend to rely on general search engines or cite studies without critically assessing the relevance of those studies to their overall research”

    From Exploring the Role of Generative AI as a Research Assistant in Undergraduate Sociology Research Methods (2026) · cites this paper as Mali, 2023

    The Discussion reports that students used databases and websites to find related articles, and a student account in the Conclusion describes difficulty finding studies relevant to her research. The paper does not say students tend to rely on general search engines or cite studies without critically assessing their relevance; the student account instead describes reading an article and noticing that its context differed. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Students often struggle to identify peer-reviewed, relevant, and current articles that support their research.

    “students often struggle to identify peer-reviewed, relevant, and current articles that support their research.”

    From Exploring the Role of Generative AI as a Research Assistant in Undergraduate Sociology Research Methods (2026) · cites this paper as Mali, 2023

    In “Challenges that EFL students face when writing parts of their research proposal” (page not provided), students describe difficulty finding relevant articles and supporting references. The paper also reports, in “Challenges of writing parts of a research proposal” (page not provided), difficulty obtaining current literature. Neither passage says students struggled to identify peer-reviewed articles specifically. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Literature reviews are frequently limited to summaries, direct quotations, or listings of prior sources without proper integration.

    “Studies show that literature reviews are frequently limited to summaries, direct quotations, or listings of prior sources without proper integration”

    From Exploring the Role of Generative AI as a Research Assistant in Undergraduate Sociology Research Methods (2026) · cites this paper as Mali, 2023

    In “Challenges of writing parts of a research proposal” (page unavailable), the paper reports that Indonesian EFL undergraduates struggled to relate previous studies’ findings to their research questions. That supports a concern about integrating sources, but the paper does not say literature reviews are frequently limited to summaries, direct quotations, or lists, nor does it establish that pattern beyond this student context. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Students experience difficulties in the early stages of the research process, specifically when selecting focused topics, formulating research questions, and constructing hypotheses.

    “Prior studies have revealed that students experience difficulties in the early stages of the research process, specifically when selecting focused topics, formulating research questions, and constructing hypotheses.”

    From Exploring the Role of Generative AI as a Research Assistant in Undergraduate Sociology Research Methods (2026) · cites this paper as Mali, 2023

    Table 3 (Conclusion; page not provided) lists finding a research topic and writing a problem statement among students’ challenges. The paper describes research questions as part of a proposal, but the passages do not report difficulty formulating them or constructing hypotheses. It also does not specify that the difficulty is selecting a focused topic. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Students struggle with synthesizing relevant sources into a cohesive literature review.

    “Students also struggle with synthesizing relevant sources into a cohesive literature review.”

    From Exploring the Role of Generative AI as a Research Assistant in Undergraduate Sociology Research Methods (2026) · cites this paper as Mali, 2023

    The Discussion and Table 3 (Conclusion; page unavailable) identify finding relevant supporting references as a challenge in writing literature reviews. They do not identify synthesizing those sources into a cohesive review as a challenge; the reported difficulty with coherent organization concerns the introduction instead. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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1 of the 34 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Abdurahman, N. H., & Rizqi, M. A. (2020). Indonesian students' strategies to cope with foreign language anxiety. TEFLIN Journal, 31(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v31i1/1-18 · DOI
  2. Dawson, C. (2009). Introduction to research methods: A practical guide for anyone undertaking a research project (4th ed.). Oxford: How To Content.
  3. Safdari, M. (2021). Contributions of Edmodo social learning network to Iranian EFL learners' writing accuracy. CALL-EJ, 22(1), 343-361. http://callej.org/journal/22-1/Safdari2021.pdf
  4. Widodo, H. P., & Rozak, R. R. (2016). Engaging student teachers in collaborative and reflective online video-assisted extensive listening in an Indonesian Initial Teacher Education (ITE) context. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 13(2), 229-244. https://e-flt.nus.edu.sg/wp- content/uploads/2020/09/widodo-1-1.pdf

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Authors
Gai Mali, Y. C.
Venue
LLT Journal: A Journal on Language and Language Teaching
Publisher
Sanata Dharma University
Published
2023-04-16
Volume
26
Issue
1
Pages
272-289
ISSN
  • 1410-7201 (ISSN-L)
  • 2579-9533
DOI
10.24071/llt.v26i1.5296
OpenAlex
W4361271599
Cited by
7
References
34
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1
FWCI
7.87
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
LLT Journal A Journal on Language and Language Teaching (publishedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › English Language Learning and Teaching
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Discourse Analysis in Language Studies
Keywords
research proposal writing, EFL writing, writing difficulties, coping strategies, online learning, COVID-19 pandemic, undergraduate students, literature review writing, introduction writing

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