Analysing Students’ Needs in Creative Writing Course: An Exploratory Case Study in an Indonesian Higher Education

Abstract

This study aims at investigating what students expect when taking a Creative Writing course. To obtain the required data, an exploratory case study was utilized by distributing a questionnaire to the students and conducting interviews with the writing lecturer and the head of the study program. 60 students, one writing lecturer, and the head of the Indonesian Language Study Program were involved in this study. Findings in this study indicated that students expected to learn by having more practice in writing. Four emergent topics were discussed, namely building creativity and accuracy in writing, effective learning methods, available learning resources, and considering students' ability and interest in writing. They wished to write by following the writing process explained by the lecturer. This study concluded that it is required to design a learning model which facilitated students to learn in Creative Writing courses in a better way. The learning model is expected to provide students with the writing process and grammar.

Correlations Between Expressing Feelings, Conveying Thoughts, and Gaining Confidence when Writing Personal Narratives in One’s First and Second Language

“…The results of this study aligned with previous research studies in encouraging the emergence of teaching creative writing in language learning classrooms (Asri et al, 2022;Gonzá lez, 2015;Hanauer & Bauerle, 2012;Jaashan, 2022;Jubhari et al, 2022;Nicholes, 2017aNicholes, , 2017bPierson, 2014;Rakhmanbergenova, 2022;Saaty, 2015Saaty, , 2019. The current study proves that there is a positive correlation between expressing feelings, conveying thoughts, and gaining confidence in the learning process of writing.…”

“…Creative writing has become an important part of language education and literature in the field of English language teaching (Jaashan, 2022). Many studies have encouraged the emergence of teaching creative writing in language learning classrooms (Asri, et al, 2022;Gonzá lez, 2015;Hanauer & Bauerle, 2012;Jaashan, 2022;Jubhari, et al, 2022;Nicholes, 2017aNicholes, , 2017bPierson, 2014;Rakhmanbergenova, 2022;Saaty, 2015), and several universities are providing courses on creative writing. Nonetheless, teaching creative writing to language learners is still in its infancy; it requires more classroom investigation, experiments, and investments to prove its benefit to have positive results.…”

“…Creative writing has become an important component of teaching English as a second/foreign language (Jaashan, 2022). Many studies have supported the introduction of creative writing instruction in language learning classrooms (e.g., Asri et al, 2022;Gonzá lez, 2015;Hanauer & Bauerle, 2012;Jaashan, 2022;Jubhari et al, 2022;Nicholes, 2017bPierson, 2014;Rakhmanbergenova, 2022;Saaty, 2015). Several studies have noted that when students have a positive attitude toward creative writing, they demonstrate a commitment to learning and put more effort into completing writing tasks (e.g., Graham et al, 2007).Specifically personal narratives, a form of creative writing, have proven to be beneficial for English language learners as a writing genre that helps them to convey thoughts, express feelings, and gain writing confidence.…”

“…Many empirical studies have shown that students' experiences are positively and significantly correlated with expectations for continuing education and developing a sense of belonging in the academic community (Asri et al, 2022;Hanauer & Bauerle, 2012;Jubhari et al, 2022;Pierson, 2014;Rakhmanbergenova, 2022;Saaty, 2015Saaty, , 2019Saaty, , 2020. Nonetheless, few research studies (e.g., Hanauer, 2010Hanauer, , 2012Hanauer, , 2015Nicholes, 2017aNicholes, , 2017b have linked creative writing, such as poetry and fiction writing, to a meaningful literacy instruction approach that focuses on the individual learner to place them at the center of the learning process to facilitate writing development.…”

Creative Writing for EFL Classroom: A Perspective from Higher Education

“…Another thing to consider when a teacher is to implement creative writing in a course is the students' expectation of the class since it may "lead to perceived pleasantness of the course" (Burkšaitienė, 2014, p. 669). A specific positive example, specific rules and strategies, a focus on real world challenges and problem solving, a work that can be displayed, major focus on practices, and a teacher who uses more target language are also expected in a creative writing class (Asri et al, 2022).…”