Beyond the Code: Vocational Students’ Perceptions of Project-Based English Writing at IPB University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33005/jesscom.v2i1.12Keywords:
English writing, Project-Based Learning, Student Perceptions, Vocational EducationAbstract
As vocational education becomes increasingly popular, there is a rising focus on preparing students not only for technical skills but also for academic competence, such as English writing. This study examined how vocational software engineering students perceive a project-based English writing task integrated into their coursework. Conducted at IPB University, the study involved 122 second-year students enrolled in an English for Information Technology Communication course. As part of the course, students were guided to write a research article based on their technical projects. Data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of both Likert-scale items and open-ended questions. The findings suggest that students gained a range of benefits from the project, including: 1) enhanced academic writing, 2) developed research abilities, 3) stronger collaboration skills, 4) a clearer understanding of the content within their discipline, and 5) improved time management. Simultaneously, students reported challenges categorized into four domains based on the project stages: 1) writing and revision: collecting and synthesizing references, paraphrasing, and avoiding plagiarism; 2) planning and drafting: finding novelty and developing the topic; 3) data collection and analysis: reaching the target response, processing data; 4) submission and publication: finding a relevant journal platform and waiting for review. While this study highlights the value of project-based learning in vocational contexts to ensure meaningful learning outcomes, it also indicates areas where further instructional support is needed to improve the course design and delivery.
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