Beyond the Code: Vocational Students’ Perceptions of Project-Based English Writing at IPB University

Irma Rasita Gloria Barus — 2025-08-25

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.

Journal of English Studies and Business Communication

Beyond the Code: Vocational Students’ Perceptions of Project-Based English Writing at IPB University