Enhancing Analyti c Writi ng Skills in the Context of English Literature through Guided Writi ng Strategies: Addressing Challenges Faced by HNDE Students in Craft ing Literature Responses

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investi gate the impact of Guided Writi ng Techniques (GWT) on enhancing Analyti cal Writi ng Skills (AWS) among Higher Nati onal Diploma English students, focusing on their ability to respond eff ecti vely to English literature questi ons. From a populati on of 50 fi rstyear students, 25 parti cipants were selected through purposive sampling. This study employed a mixedmethods approach, combining quanti tati ve pretests and post-tests with qualitati ve structured interviews to gain insights into students’ challenges and progress in Analyti cal writi ng. The study commenced with pretests, which, along with structured interviews, highlighted specifi c diffi culti es students faced in craft ing responses to English literature questi ons and in AWS within this context. The interventi on acti viti es guided parti cipants through three stages, each designed to build essenti al skills for producing eff ecti ve literary responses: Literary Analysis Skill (LAS), Higher-Order Thinking Skill (HOT skill), and AWS, structured around GWT. Short stories, a form within the prose genre, were exclusively selected as the primary material for these acti viti es. Following each stage of the interventi on, individual post-tests were conducted to assess the development of core competencies. The fi ndings revealed a signifi cant improvement in students’ AWS, evidenced by a correlati on coeffi cient of 0.8914, underscoring the eff ecti veness of GWT. These techniques, mediated by LAS and HOT Skills, enabled students to craft focused, well-structured responses that thoroughly engage with literature questi ons. The study concludes that GWT, when integrated with LAS and HOT skills, is highly eff ecti ve in enhancing AWS in English literature, highlighti ng their potenti al as a valuable instructi onal approach in similar educati onal contexts.