DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH WRITING SKILLS THROUGH

CREATIVE METHODS

HILDA YANTI SAFITRI

220202124

STUDY PROGRAM OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION

DEPERTEMENT OF LANGUAGE AND HUMANITES

HAMZANWADI UNIVERSITY

2024
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

I.1 Background

Writing in English has quickly become an important skill in the scope of world
education in a globally interconnected world. This skill is considered in modern pedagogy,
not just as a communication tool, but as a method for fostering critical thinking, exploring
creativity, and developing the ability to articulate ideas in a clear, logical format. However,
the reality shows that enhancing students’ writing is still a big challenge, particularly in
countries where English is not the main language (Anggraeni, 2023). The latest Education
First English Proficiency Index (EF EPI, 2022) showed that revealed that despite
improvements in general English proficiency, productive skills such as writing remain the
weakest aspect, especially in developing countries such as Indonesia. Data from this report
shows that around 45% of students at the secondary level find it difficult to produce cohesive
and coherent written texts in English (Faradhibah & Nur, 2017).
This gap is largely due to the traditional teaching approach that is often applied in
schools. This approach tends to focus on mechanical aspects such as grammar and sentence
structure, without giving enough attention to students' idea development, creativity, and
emotional engagement in the writing process (Moybeka et al., 2023). For instance, Andini &
Fadly (2024) reveal that teachers-centered learning methods are likely to result in passive
learners where the individual student is less engaged in the process of looking into his or
herself capacity of writing. Further worsening the problem is the absence of contextualized,
meaningful writing activities that could provide students with opportunities for authentic
experiences. Consequently, many students feel discouraged from writing in English, despite
facing years of language courses at school (Syafitri et al., 2019).
Conversely, the creative approach to writing instruction is highly acclaimed in the
education literature as a powerful strategy to enhance the quality of writing by students.
Methods for creativity make use of different activities, aimed at inspiring imagination, thus
assisting in creative learning experiences through new ideas (Listyani, 2019). This can be
seen with the use of storytelling, the use of pictures as writing prompts, collaborative writing
projects, and exploring digital media like blogs and videos to make texts. Alzubi & Nazim
(2024) finds through research that creative methods can help increase students intrinsic
motivation to write, while also engaging them in a more personal style of writing. This was
also demonstrated in a more organic way where both vocabulary use and grammar mastery
improved along with students’ understanding of text structure.
Nevertheless, even if creative ways have huge potential, in terms of implementation in
formal learning they are facing countless challenges. Limited resources are one of the biggest
obstacles, including few teaching materials explicitly targeting this approach. Besides, most
teachers are not confident to apply creative methods since they do not get enough training or
do not understand the approach very well (Wahyuningsih et al., 2021). Furthermore, another
challenge faced is how to evaluate the effectiveness of this creative method in various aspects
of writing skills, such as cohesion, coherence, vocabulary richness and grammatical accuracy.
It is in this context that this study becomes relevan. The purpose of this research is to create
an effective creative means of forming writing skills in English, especially with intermediate-
level students. Besides, it also intends to investigate the aspects that can favour the effective
carrying out of this method such as the teacher figure, resource availability and type of
students. Therefore, this research not only adds to the literature on English education, but also
provides solutions to increase the quality of writing teaching and learning in formal education
settings.

I.2 Problem Statement

This research is motivated by two essential issues in English language learning among
students which can be considered as major problems that counterproductive the process of
students writing develop. Moving forward, the question lies in how creative approaches
through systematic design and contextual practice can enhance student engagement and
motivate exploration of ideas as a whole whilst improving student writing skills. Innovative
strategies must encompass components designed to promote student creativity, reflective
thought, and the integration of lived experiences into the student writing produced. The
second challenge is how this method can be objectively assessed for its holistic impact on key
components of writing ability including cohesion, coherence, richness of vocabulary,
grammar and ability to articulate thoughts in a structured way. To provide solutions for these
two problems, the research attempts to reduce the gap between teaching pedagogy and
classroom practice by investigating some possible creative means of facilitating a probable
classroom atmosphere. The study is anticipated to produce relevant-results through an
empirical evidence-based research design, not merely to improve the quality of writing
learning but also to provide practical recommendations for practitioners to integrate creative-
methods in a curriculum that responds to the students' needs and the global demands.

I.3 Research Objectives

Based on the identified problem statement, the objectives of this research are:

1. To implement and create innovative strategies in teaching English writing

systematically developed with contextual actions, improved the ability to engage
 students with contextual activities, allow ideas to flow from students and create
reflective thinking for success in writing as a whole.
2. To assess the role of creative methods on improving the overall inclusion of
constituents in writing skills (cohesion, coherence, richness of vocabulary,
grammatical correctness, and orderly expression of thoughts) based upon an
evidence-based research design.
3. To provide practical recommendations for integrating creative methods into English
writing curricula, bridging the gap between pedagogical theory and classroom
practice, while addressing the needs of students and meeting global communication
demands.

I.4 Research Question

Based on the background, problem statement, and research objectives, the research
questions for the study titled "Development of English Writing Skills Through Creative
Methods" are as follows:

1. How can creative methods be systematically designed and implemented to enhance

student engagement, foster idea exploration, and improve the overall writing
proficiency of intermediate-level learners in formal educational settings?

2. What is the impact of creative teaching approaches on key components of writing

skills, such as cohesion, coherence, vocabulary richness, grammatical accuracy, and
the ability to articulate thoughts in a structured and logical manner?

3. What practical strategies and recommendations can be developed to integrate

creative methods into English writing curricula while addressing challenges such as
resource limitations, teacher readiness, and diverse student needs?

I.5 Significance of This Study

The significance of this study lies in its potential to address critical challenges in the
teaching and learning of English writing skills by bridging the gap between traditional
pedagogical approaches and innovative, creative methodologies. Initially, it enriches the
theoretical corpus by examining how systematically devised creative methodologies can
augment student engagement, promote reflective thinking, and incorporate contextual and
authentic experiences into the writing process. This emphasis is consistent with current
educational objectives aimed at cultivating critical thinking, creativity, and self-expression
among students.
Secondly, the study presents empirical evidence regarding the efficacy of innovative
methodologies in enhancing essential elements of writing proficiency, encompassing
cohesion, coherence, lexical richness, grammatical precision, and the systematic organization
of ideas. Through the utilization of an evidence-based research design, this study guarantees
that its findings are both pertinent and applicable across a variety of educational contexts,
thereby addressing a significant void in the assessment of the effects of innovative teaching
methodologies.
Moreover, the study presents significant practical implications for educators,
curriculum developers, and policymakers by recommending actionable strategies for the
incorporation of innovative methodologies into English writing curricula. These
recommendations are designed to enhance the significance and engagement of the learning
experience, thereby ensuring that students develop the requisite skills to effectively navigate
the complexities of global communication. Furthermore, the research examines significant
obstacles, including constrained resources and the preparedness of educators, by identifying
the factors that either facilitate or impede the effective implementation of innovative
methodologies.
Finally, this study possesses significant societal relevance by equipping students with
enhanced writing skills, thereby facilitating their more effective engagement in academic,
professional, and social domains. By advocating for a learner-centered and creativity-driven
methodology, this research is consistent with the overarching objectives of education, which
aim to equip individuals for the intricacies of a globalized society, while simultaneously
improving the quality of English writing instruction within formal educational environments.

I.6 Scope and limitations

This research focuses on the exploration, execution, and evaluation of novel initiatives
to enhance English writing skills of intermediate students in formal academic settings. This
research focuses on improving fundamental aspects of writing like, cohesion, coherence,
lexicon richness, grammatical accuracy, and ability to convey the thoughts in an organised
form. The study highlights the need for contextual and systematic approaches which include
creative strategies, namely, narrative; digital, multimedia; collaborative writing and reflective
practices to foster engagement and creativity in the writing itself. Additionally, the research
aims to provide an empirical validation of the impact of these cutting-edge techniques on
learning outcomes, intending to deliver data-driven evidence and actionable
recommendations for classroom practitioners and curriculum designers alike.
Nevertheless, the study acknowledges several limitations. This research is conducted
in a specific educational setting, which can limit the possible transferability of findings to
other settings with different student populations, cultural norms, or institutional resources.
Second, the focus of the study is mainly on intermediate language learners, meaning, the
results may not generalize to beginners or advanced learners whose needs and difficulties can
differ substantially. Third, while the present study applies a systematic design to assess the
impact of creative methodologies, the assessment includes qualitative and quantitative
elements. This mixed-bit reliance may not only be difficult to interpret with subjectivity, but
more so can vary from student to student with even delay in response from external/online
platforms.
In addition, the research is subject to resources, including access to resources, and
schools providing teacher training to effectively implement new methods. This limitation
could affect the sustainability of the proposed strategies in low-resourced educational
institutions. Finally, the length of the research period and the length of the intervention may
limit the study’s ability to examine writing in terms of its long-term impact on groups of
students, and thus the sustainability of revisions and transfer to writing across contexts.

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