Epistemological and Ecological Perception of the Roots of EFL Writing Problems: A Phenomenology and a Path Analysis
Subject Areas :Nasrin Jenabagha 1 , Shaban Najafi Karimi 2 , Amir Marzban 3
1 - English Language Teaching Department, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran
2 - English Language Teaching Department, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran
3 - English Language Teaching Department, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran
Keywords: Ecology, Epistemology, Writing Problems, EFL writing,
Abstract :
Delving into the sources of foreign language writing problems is usually neglected. This necessitates more scrutiny of finding out where these problems originate from. To this end, the present study sought to follow a two-fold aim: finding the roots of the Iranian EFL learners’ writing problems, and discovering how these roots are interconnected with each other and come up with a corresponding model. In the qualitative part of the study, a phenomenological research tradition was adopted and 20 EFL learners were selected through purposive sampling. In the quantitative part, through convenience sampling 120 language learners from an English language school in Gorgan, Iran, were selected to be the participants of the study. A semi-structured interview and a researcher-developed questionnaire were used as the instruments for data collection. The results obtained from the analysis of data revealed that writing problems originate from various sources, mainly linguistic, personal, epistemological and ecological, and enjoy a model in which epistemological, linguistic and ecological sources have direct effects and personal source has indirect effect on writing problems. Recognition of epistemological and ecological sources as a novel finding can make teachers revisit their view of these less-approached issues.
Ahern, K. J. (1999). Ten tips for reflexive bracketing. Qualitative Health Research, 9(3), 407 411.
Ahmad, N., Khan, F. N., & Munir, N. (2013). Factors a_ecting the learning of English at secondary school level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, 2(2), 95-101.
Al-Khasawneh, F. (2010). Writing for Academic Purposes: Problems faced by Arab postgraduate students of the college of business, UUM. ESL World, 12(3), 108-120.
Ashraf, M., Rubab., I., & Ajmal, M. (2020). Investigating the Problems of organization and vocabulary in academic writing encountered by students at postgraduate level. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(8), 2766-2779.
Bachman, L. F., & Palmer, A. S. (1996). Language testing in practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Bilal, H. A., Tariq, A. R., Din, N., Latif, H., & Anjum, M. N. (2013). Investigating the problems faced by the teachers in developing English writing skills. Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2(3), 238-244.
Butt, M. I., & Rasul, S. (2012). Errors in the writing of English at the degree level: Pakistani teachers' perspective. Language in India, 12(9), 195-217.
Cilliers, P. (1998). Complexity and Postmodernism: Understanding Complex Systems. London: Routledge.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications.
Dar, M. F., & Khan, I. (2015). Writing anxiety among public and private sectors among Pakistani undergraduate university students. Pakistan Journal of Gender Studies, 10(1), 121-136.
Gonye, J., Mareva, R., Dudu, W. T., & Sib, J. (2012). Academic writing challenges at universities in Zimbabwe: A case study of great Zimbabwe university. International Journal of English and Literature, 3(3), 71-83.
Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). Writing strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle and high schools. The Elementary School Journal, 94(2), 169-181.
Haider, G. (2012). An insight into difficulties faced by Pakistani student writers: Implications for teaching of writing. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 2(3), 17-27.
Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching. Fourth Edition. China: Pearson, Longman.
Hosseini, M., Taghizadeh, M. E., Abedin, M. J. Z., & E. Naseri. (2013). In the Importance of EFL Learners’ Writing Skill: Is There Any Relation between Writing Skill and Content Score of English Essay Test? International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, 6(1), 141-160.
Hyland, K. (2003). Second language writing. Ernst Klett Sprachen.
Hyland, K. & Tse. P. (2004). Metadiscourse in academic writing: a reappraisal. Applied Linguistics, 25(1), 156–77.
Kalikokha, C. (2008). The perceptions of a group of first year undergraduate Malawian students of the essay writing process (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.
Kellogg, R. T., & Raulerson, B. A. (2007). Improving the writing skills of college students. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 14(2), 237-242.
Khodabandeh, F., Jafarigohar, M., Soleimani, H., & Hemmati, F. (2014). Investigating Iranian EFL writing problems and examining back transfer. Asian EFL Journal, 12(2), 226-268.
Kline, R. B. (2015). Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Kramsch, C. & Whiteside, A. (2008). Language ecology in multilingual settings. Towards a Theory of Symbolic Competence, 29(4), 645–671.
Kumar, R. (2011). Research methodology a step-by-step guide for beginners (3rd ed.). Los Angeles: SAGE Publications Inc.
Lopez, K. A., & Willis, D. G. (2004). Descriptive versus interpretive phenomenology: Their contributions to nursing knowledge. Qualitative Health Research, 14(5), 726–735.
Mahboob, A., & Talaat, M. (2008). English language teachers and teacher education in Pakistan. TESOL, Alexandria, USA.
Mansoor, S. (2005). Language planning in higher education: A case study of Pakistan. Oxford University Press Karachi.
Nik, Y. A., Hamzah, A., & Rafidee, H. (2010). A comparative study on the factors affecting the writing performance among Bachelor students. International Journal of Educational Research and Technology, 1(1), 54-59.
Nik, Y. A., Sani, B. B., Kamaruzaman, M. N. B. W. C., Hasbollah, H. R. B. (2010). The writing performance of undergraduates in the University of Technology, Mara, Terengganu, Malaysia. Journal of Languages and Culture, 1(1), 8-14.
Noriah, I., Sumarni, M., & NorHaniza, H. (2008). The impact of teacher feedback on ESL students’ writing performance. Jurnal Akademik UiTM Johor. 8(1), 45–54.
O'Malley, J. M., & Chamot, A. U. (1990). Learning strategies in second language acquisition. Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom.
Pennycook, A. (2007). Global Englishes and Transcultural Flows. London: Routledge.
Pietkiewicz, I., & Smith, J. A. (2012). A practical guide to using interpretative phenomenological analysis in qualitative research psychology. Czasopismo Psychologiczne, 18(2), 361–369.
Pineteh, E. A. (2013). The academic writing challenges of undergraduate students: A South African case study. International Journal of Higher Education, 3(1), 12-25.
Quintero, L. M. (2008). Blogging: A way to foster EFL writing. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 10(1), 31-49.
Rahman, T. (2002). Language, ideology and power (Vol. 1). Oxford University Press, United Kingdom.
Raimes, A. (1991). Out of the woods: emerging traditions in the teaching of writing. TESOL Quarterly, 25(1), 11–15.
Rankin-Brown, M. (2006). Addressing writing apprehension in adult English language learners. Proceeding of CATESOL State Conference 2006, 1–7.
Sharafi-Nejad, M., Raftari, S., Mohamed Ismail, S. A., & L. S. Eng. (2016). Iranian EFL learners’ writing problems: A move towards solution. Journal of Studies in Education, 6(4), 110-118.
Shokrpour, N., & Fallahzadeh, M. H. (2007). A Survey of the Students and Interns’ EFL Writing Problems in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 9(1), 143-159
Siddiqui, S. (2007). Rethinking education in Pakistan: Perceptions, practices, and possibilities. Paramount Publishing Enterprise, United States.
Smith, J. A., & Osborn, M. (2007). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In J. A. Smith (Ed.). Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods (pp. 51–80). London: SAGE Publications.
Thoreau, M. (2005). Write on Track: a Guide to Academic Writing. Prentice Hall.
Thorne, S. L. (2005). Epistemology, Politics, and Ethics in Sociocultural Theory. The Modern Language Journal, 89(3), 393-409.
Toba, R., Noviana Noor, W., & Sanu, L. (2019). The Current Issues of Indonesian EFL Students’ Writing Skills: Ability, Problem, and Reason in Writing Comparison and Contrast Essay. DINAMIKA ILMU, 19(1), 163-180.
Vahid Dastjerdi, H., & Samian, H. S. (2011). Quality of Iranian EFL learners’ Argumentative Essays: Cohesive Devices in Focus. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2(2), 2011, 65-76.
Van Manen, M. (2017). Phenomenology in its original sense. Qualitative Health Research, 27(6), 810–825.