STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN PARAPHRASING ACADEMIC TEXT

Abstract

Paraphrasing is an essential skill in academic writing that requires students to restate source ideas accurately while maintaining their original meaning. However, many students encounter difficulties that affect their writing quality and confidence. This study aims to identify the challenges students face in paraphrasing and examine their impact on academic writing performance. Using a qualitative design, data were collected through observation, documentation and semi-structured interviews with five undergraduate students of the English Education Study Program, at Universitas Katolik Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis involving systematic coding and categorization to identify recurring patterns. The findings indicated some primary challenges: limited vocabulary, fear of distorting the original meaning, grammatical and syntactic difficulties, and time constraints. Students also reported low confidence and uncertainty regarding the academic acceptability of their paraphrases, which led some to rely on translation tools or AI applications. Therefore, explicit instruction in paraphrasing strategies, vocabulary development, structured practice, and formative feedback are necessary to enhance students’ competence and confidence in paraphrasing academic text.