FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN WRITING THESIS: A MIXED-METHODS RESEARCH AT EIGHTH SEMESTER OF ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM IN IAIN CURUP

Abstract

The research describes about the factors that affect students’ difficulties in writing thesis at English Study Program of IAIN Curup. The objectives of this research are to find the students’ difficulties in writing thesis. In this study, the researcher used mixed-methods study. The population and the subject of this research were consisted of all students at TBI, which are the total number 49 students. In this study, the researcher took total sampling and the instrument used are questionnaire and interview. The questionnaire is also used to find the students’ difficulties in writing thesis and the interview was used to find the factors that affect students’ difficulties in writing thesis. The data showed significant finding (1) there are 82% or 40 students have difficulties in personality factors. (2) There are 83% or 41 students have difficulties in sociocultural factors. (3) There are 86% or 42 students have difficulties in linguistic factors. From the three factors, it is concluded that linguistic factor is the highest difficulties face by English students. The interview result showed that the first factor is personality factors. They were lack of confidence in deciding the thesis topic and in writing a proper literature review. The second, Sociocultural factors that covered in have an understanding about the culture department of the university regarding the format of thesis writing. Finally, the third factor is linguistic factors. They were difficult in paraphrasing sentences from the source to the thesis writing.