The Investigation and Analysis of Factors Affecting English Major Undergraduates PerforXXnce in their Graduation Thesis Writing

English XXjor undergraduates are required to write a graduation thesis as a culmination of their academic stuXXXs. However, XXny students struggle with this task and XXy not perform well. In this study, we investigated and XXXXyzed the factors that affect English XXjor undergraduates’ perforXXnce in their graduation thesis writing.

Methodology

The study was conducted using a mixed-methods research approach. First, we administered a survey to 200 English XXjor undergraduates from four universities in China. The survey questions asked about the students’ perceptions of their own writing abilities, their motivation towards writing, their time XXnagement skills, and their understanding of academic writing conventions. Second, we conducted interviews with 20 of the survey participants to gain a deeper understanding of their eXXeriences with writing their graduation theses.

Results

The results showed that there were several factors that affected English XXjor undergraduates’ perforXXnce in their graduation thesis writing:

1. Perceptions of Writing Abilities: Students who had a negative perception of their writing abilities were more likely to struggle with writing their graduation theses.
2. Motivation: Students who were motivated to write their graduation theses were more likely to perform well.
3. Time Management: Students who were able to XXnage their time effectively were more likely to complete their graduation theses on time and perform well.
4. Understanding of Academic Writing Conventions: Students who had a good understanding of academic writing conventions were more likely to write a high-quality graduation thesis.

The results of the interviews provided additional insight into these factors. Many students reported feeling overwhelmed by the task of writing a graduation thesis and struggled to stay motivated. Others reported not having a clear understanding of academic writing conventions, which XXde it difficult for them to write a high-quality thesis.

Conclusion

English XXjor undergraduates’ perforXXnce in their graduation thesis writing is influenced by their perceptions of their own writing abilities, motivation, time XXnagement skills, and understanding of academic writing conventions. To help students perform well in their graduation thesis writing, universities should provide support and resources to help students improve in these areas.