Authors: Safia Mujtaba Alsied and Noura Winis Ibrahim, Sebha University, Libya
Email: safa_rami@yahoo.com
Published: January 19, 2018
https://doi.org/10.22492/ijll.3.2.06
Citation: Alsied, S. M., & Ibrahim, N. W. (2018). Exploring Challenges Encountered by EFL Libyan Learners in Research Teaching and Writing. IAFOR Journal of Language Learning, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.22492/ijll.3.2.06
Abstract
Research is conducted all over the world to solve problems or to answer questions of significance to humanity. Academic writing or writing to report research is not easy because it requires adequate background knowledge, interest, motivation and hard work. This study investigates the major challenges in research writing faced by Libyan EFL learners at Sebha University and also explores Libyan teachers’ attitudes towards their students' work. A total of 42 students and 4 teachers formed the sample of this study. The present study used a mixed method approach. The findings of the study revealed that Libyan EFL learners have difficulty developing a research project and reporting the findings. The former requires them to identify the area of interest, choose a topic and formulate a researchable problem while the latter typically involves writing a literature review, the methodology, results and discussion sections. Between the two tasks, the students found academic writing the most challenging. It was also found that Libyan teachers had negative attitudes towards their students’ research due to the following reasons: lack of motivation, insufficient background knowledge about research, lack of library resources, inadequate number of courses related to research, and the unavailability of Internet in the college.
Keywords
Libyan university, research challenges, research production, EFL learners