Addressing Writing Difficulties Among 11th-Grade Students At Dar Al-Salihin Islamic Senior High School: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Writing is a mental representation of the writer's concepts, knowledge, or attitudes, expressed through structured linguistic phrases. Unlike drawing, which may represent meaning without language, writing requires proper use of grammar and vocabulary. The challenges in teaching writing to 11th-grade students at Dar Al-Salihin Islamic Senior High School in East Lampung during the 2024/2025 academic year stemmed from poor grammar, limited vocabulary, and difficulty organizing ideas logically. Some students knew vocabulary but lacked writing experience. Errors often appeared in sentence construction, pronoun usage, and inappropriate word choices. The researcher used a qualitative method, collecting data through interviews and document analysis across three phases: before, during, and after implementation. The study found frequent student mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and sentence coherence, with many compositions being disorganized and inconsistent in grammatical agreement. To address these problems, the teacher provided more writing exercises and assignments, encouraged students to write about their daily school activities, and allowed topic selection to foster expression. Rather than emphasizing grammatical accuracy, the teacher focused on building student confidence in expressing ideas, even if errors remained.