Difficulties in the writing skills of Grade 11 HUMSS students

This study aimed to analyze the writing difficulties of Grade 11 HUMSS students in a private college in the Philippines. An explanatory sequential research design was employed to examine the students' writing challenges. Forty-one students were purposively selected to determine their level of writing skills and to identify specific areas of difficulty. Subsequently, eleven (11) students were chosen based on the results of the writing activity for a structured interview. This interview aimed to explore how these areas of difficulty affected their writing performance and to inform the development of an appropriate workbook to help improve their writing skills. Results indicated that the students’ level of writing skills was poor, with a mean score of 17.24 out of 40 (43.1%). The identified areas of difficulty included grammar, organization of ideas, vocabulary, and writing mechanics. According to the students, these challenges led to disjointed and incoherent writing as the primary effects. It was concluded that the students experienced significant difficulties in writing, and addressing these issues is essential for improving their writing skills and mastery of the English language. To this end, the researchers developed a workbook specifically targeting these problem areas. It is recommended that the workbook be utilized to enhance students' writing skills and that future research focus on creating specialized workbooks addressing each specific area of difficulty.