Investigating EFL Undergraduate Students’ Thesis Writing Anxiety: Underlying Causes and Coping Strategies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31949/educatio.v12i3.19231Abstract
Writing a thesis is a mandatory milestone that determines the completion of undergraduate studies. However, it is also a complex task that requires EFL students to master integrated academic, research, and linguistic competencies, which often causes anxiety. This study aims to investigate the causes of thesis writing anxiety experienced by undergraduate students and how they cope with this anxiety. Using a qualitative study with a basic-interpretive approach, the researcher engaged with 10 English Education Students at a single public university in Surabaya. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using predetermined interview guidelines. Through thematic analysis, the researcher identified 8 causes of anxiety, including low proficiency in English academic writing, difficulty generating and organizing ideas, low self-efficacy, fear of evaluation, supervisory pressure, time pressure, comparing the thesis with peers, and concerns about institutional academic standards. The analysis indicated that contextual triggers exacerbate students' fears and doubts as novice writers. The participants also reported a combination of 6 coping strategies, including seeking support from peers and supervisors, managing time and setting goals, learning from senior theses, reframing negative thoughts, engaging in emotional regulation activities, and the emerging use of AI and digital writing tools. This study emphasizes the importance of raising awareness to overcome anxiety when writing a thesis by identifying the underlying issues and the strategies employed by EFL undergraduate students. In addition, the results of this study can be useful to students, lecturers, and educational institutions in creating a more conducive environment for supporting students’ thesis-writing process.
Keywords:
Causes, coping strategies, EFL students, undergraduate thesis writing, writing anxietyDownloads
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