Social Science Graduating Students’ Problems of Writing Senior Essays The Case of Three Public Universities

Abstract

This study assessed social science graduating learners’ problems of writing senior essaysin public universities in Ethiopia. In effect, data was gathered from a sample of 216students and 35 teachers in Civics, English and Sociology fields through questionnairesand interviews. The questionnaire data were analyzed with descriptive statistics; theinterviews were analyzed qualitatively. The results show that the improper time use, littlecommitment, less motivation, low experience, poor academic background, and limitedreading materials affected the write up of students’ theses. It was also felt thatinsufficient and unproductive research methods training and lack of short-term intensivetrainings might have worsened the existing challenges. Moreover, advisor-adviseeinteractions were less. Consequently, theses writing found to be a compilation ofplagiarized texts, with no/little reflections of the student as a researcher. As any studies,the shortfalls are likely in our research, yet the findings could highlight the factors facinglearners in writing senior essays, so awareness raising and intervention strategies can bedesigned and offered. Future work of the present researchers will investigate SocialScience and Humanities graduates’ problems of doing undergraduate theses.