Students Writing Strategies in Producing Academic Text

Abstract

This study investigates the writing strategies employed by undergraduate students in producing academic texts. Using a qualitative approach, this research explored the experiences of 10 students at the Department of English Education, Universitas Katolik Santu Paulus Ruteng. Data were gathered through observation, documentation and in-depth interviews. The interview consists of five open-ended questions covering pre-writing, idea organization, academic language maintenance, source integration, and revision strategies. The findings reveal that students employ a range of metacognitive and cognitive strategies when approaching academic writing tasks; however, significant challenges persist in three key areas: maintaining consistent academic formality in an EFL context, moving beyond direct quotation toward critical source synthesis, and engaging in deep-level rather than surface-level revision. Specifically, all participants reported using mind-mapping and brainstorming during the pre-writing stage, while structured outlining served as their primary tool for managing idea organization. Although students demonstrated awareness of academic register, they struggled to apply formal language conventions consistently across their drafts. These findings point to the need for more systematic writing instruction at the tertiary level, particularly targeting deep-level revision strategies and critical source integration skills.