Essay writing is an important skill for students since it allows them to speak, comprehend  difficult concepts, and develop critical reasoning abilities. Empowering student voices is an essential skill for students because it enables them to voice out their thoughts, articulate their ideas, and participate in analytical thought processes (None et al., 2021). Students’ interest and love for this traditional  method of writing has dwindled in recent years (Rosario et al., 2019), therefore scholars and  tutors are concerned about this shift in  thinking, prompting them to investigate  deeper into what is causing this plunge. This article will look at the numerous factors that contribute to students’ declining interest in essay writing.

Changing Learning Preferences: 

The present generation has altered its attitude toward learning, contributing significantly to the decline in students’ engagement with essay writing. Rapid technological advancements have led to the widespread availability of digital media today. Consequently, the majority of students gravitate towards alternative forms of communication that are more vivid and interactive, as noted by Kayaalp et al. (2022). Other media formats, such as videos and podcasts, may appear dull and lengthy when compared to the traditional nature of old-school essays that students perceive as more conventional.

Lack of Relevance: 

The other reason is that learners believe that essay writing lacks any practical applicability. Often times, students  wonder why they should spend so much time on writing  a composition when they think it is easier to write social media posts or an article for blog (Subandowo et al., 2022). Motivational deficiency among the students may arise due to the disconnect between essay and its relevance in today’s world. 

Assessment Pressure: 

Another factor behind this is the focus on standardised tests and their associated high stakes  assessments. According to Agustin et al. (2023) in most cases, students in various education systems,  are assessed on multiple choice tests, or a paragraph on a question; this does not allow any creativity. The concentrated emphasis on examination results could prevent students from expending energy towards developing excellent essays.

Time Constraints and Workload: 

Students of this age group are involved in a number of  academic and social engagements which cause them to have tight schedules. Their time-consuming schedules do not allow rigorous research, quality thinking, or  formulation of coherent texts. Therefore, some students  might prefer using online summaries or group discussion as  quicker and better options to meet their academic demands. 

Writing Anxiety and Lack of Confidence: 

Writing anxiety is a prevalent concern among many students, often compounded by worries about their writing proficiency. The fear of generating incorrect results or receiving low grades is sufficiently daunting for students, leading them to abstain from essay writing. Additionally, the absence of specific guidelines or clear procedures for crafting an essay contributes to a lack of knowledge and understanding among students regarding the essay-writing process. Consequently, this lack of guidance fosters apprehension and disinterest towards this particular form of academic writing.

These include, but are not limited to, changes in learning  preferences, diminishing relevance, assessment pressures, short time for writing assignments and writing anxiety among students. However, as  educators, we must respond to such concerns by changing teaching ways  to stimulate students’ interest in essay writing. In a bid to boost student essays, we should stress that essays prepare students for real life by  giving them practical experience, relevant experience, as well as a set of  transferable skills. 

References

Agustin, M. S., Diawati, C., & Jalmo, T. (2023). Teachers’ Perception toward Electronic Student  Worksheet Based on chiken manure Waste Treatment Projects to Improve Students’ Creative  Thinking Skills. Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan IPA (JPPIPA), 9(3), 1050-1058. 

Febriyanti, E. R., & Rizki, M. (2021, October). Argumentation Skills: An Analysis on EFL Students’  Essays Based on Toulmin’s Model of Argument. In 2nd International Conference on  Education, Language, Literature, and Arts (ICELLA 2021) (pp. 86-95). Atlantis Press. 

Kayaalp, F., Gökbulut, B., Meral, E., & NAMLI, Z. B. (2022). The Effect of Digital Material  Preparation Training on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Self-Confidence of  Pre-service Social Studies Teachers. Journal of Theoretical Educational Science, 15(3), 475- 503. 

Rosário, P., Högemann, J., Núñez, J. C., Vallejo, G., Cunha, J., Rodríguez, C., & Fuentes, S. (2019).  The impact of three types of writing intervention on students’ writing quality. PloS one, 14(7),  e0218099. 

Subandowo, D. (2022). The Use of Linguistic Features in Indonesian Students’ Texts at Hungarian  Universities. Central European Journal of Educational Research, 4(1), 131-141.

Written by YANG QAMMARINA BINTI MOHD TOHA