STUDENTS' PERSONAL CONSTRUCTS IN RESEARCH PROPOSAL WRITING

Abstract

Most academic programmes at tertiary level require a thesis or at least a project paper as partial requirement in obtaining a degree. To fulfil this requirement, students are asked to write a thesis or a project paper from about 12,000 words to 100,000 words in accordance to the level of the degree pursued and the requirement of the respective academic institution. This paper is based on an investigation of students’ academic writing constructs at the undergraduate level. The informants of this study were undergraduate students pursuing their BA in English Language Studies at a local institute of higher learning in Malaysia. This study seeks to find out whether students who, after being exposed to the research methodology and academic writing courses use their own construct or their tutors’ construct in their writing. This study applies Personal Construct Theory using a Repertory Grid and interviews with the informants in seeking answers.
Keywords: academic writing, personal construct theory, repertory grid, research
proposal writing