Cultural Capital and Argumentative Writing in English: Challenges and Strategies Used by EFL Student Teachers

Authors

Nunung Fajaryani, Universitas Jambi
Amirul Mukminin, Universitas JambiFollow
Marzul Hidayat, Universitas Jambi
Muhaimin Muhaimin, Universitas Jambi
Eddy Haryanto, Universitas Jambi
Nazurty Nazurty, Universitas Jambi
Lenny Marzulina, Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Fatah Palembang, Indonesia
Kasinyo Harto, Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Fatah Palembang, Indonesia
Akhmad Habibi, Universitas Jambi

Abstract

Writing is one of the most difficult skills in language learning, particularly in learning English as a foreign language. The purposes of this qualitative study were to describe student teachers’ challenges in composing argumentative writing and to explain how they encountered those challenges at one public university teacher-training program in Jambi, Indonesia. The theoretical framework of cultural capital was used to guide the study while the data were collected through demographic profiles and semi-structured in-depth interviews with student teachers. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we only had access to invite 12 students to participate in our study—they were six male and six female student teachers. All participants in this study had taken English academic writing subjects and had been familiar with argumentative English writing. To analyze the data, within-case and cross-case analyses were used. The results of the data analysis produced eight salient themes including insufficient vocabulary and grammar, giving arguments, writing habits, parents’ occupation, the relationship between students, cognitive strategies, metacognitive strategies, and social strategies. The implications of the study are also discussed.

Keywords

argumentative writing, case study, cultural capital, Covid-19 pandemic, EFL student teachers

Author Bio(s)

Dr. Nunung Fajaryani is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Universitas Jambi, Indonesia.

Amirul Mukminin is a professor in the Faculty of Education, Universitas Jambi, Indonesia. He holds a Ph.D. from Florida State University in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Please direct correspondence to amirul.mukminin@unja.ac.id.

Marzul Hidayat, Ph.D., (Corresponding author) is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education, Universitas Jambi, Indonesia. He holds a Ph.D. from Florida State University in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Please direct correspondence to mhiday@yahoo.com.

Muhaimin is a professor in the Faculty of Education, Universitas Jambi, Indonesia. Please direct correspondence to muhaimin_73@yahoo.de.

Eddy Haryanto, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education, Universitas Jambi, Indonesia. Please direct correspondence to eharyanto@yahoo.com.

Nazurty is a professor in the Faculty of Education, Universitas Jambi, Indonesia.

Akhmad Habibi, Ph.D. is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Universitas Jambi, Indonesia.

Lenny Marzulina, M.Pd. is a faculty member of State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia.

Kasinyo Harto is a professor in the State Islamic University of Raden Fatah, Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia.

Publication Date

10-1-2021

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4784

Recommended APA Citation

Fajaryani, N., Mukminin, A., Hidayat, M., Muhaimin, M., Haryanto, E., Nazurty, N., Marzulina, L., Harto, K., & Habibi, A. (2021). Cultural Capital and Argumentative Writing in English: Challenges and Strategies Used by EFL Student Teachers. The Qualitative Report, 26(10), 3029-3045. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2021.4784

ORCID ID

0000-0002-6806-1315

ResearcherID

Q-8298-2019