An investigation to students’ difficulty in composition writing. A case study of Bawku Senior High School

Abstract

A case study was conducted using a mixed-method approach to investigate students’ difficulty in the composition writing at the Bawku Senior High School. Purposive and simple random sampling was used to select 200 students and 10 English Language teachers for the study. Due to the approach adopted, quantitative data was analyzed and presented in the table and content analysis was done on the qualitative data. Based on the analysis performed, the study found challenges of poor handwriting/ spelling skills/writing illegibly and difficulty in copying work or completing work on printed or written pages. It also found that students have difficulty taking notes from oral presentations and demonstrate writing skills inconsistent with verbal abilities. The study also found based on objective two that students have been negatively affected by the challenges of poor writing skills leading to the development of low Self-Confidence in most students. The study found that most students are unable to express themselves in writing across other subjects. Others are unable to express their ideas through communication with the overall effect being scoring poor grades in test, assignments and examinations. The study found per the West African Examinations Council Chief Examiners reports (2019) issued on the conduct of English Language examinations that four areas are considered: the content, the organization, the expression and the mechanical accuracy. Teachers spelt out strategies that are used in developing the four aspects. The study concluded that there are challenges of poor handwriting/ spelling skills/writing illegibly and difficulty in copying work or completing work on printed or written pages, students difficulty in note-taking from oral presentations and demonstrating of writing skills inconsistent with verbal abilities. Students have been negatively affected by the challenges of poor writing skills and the strategies provided in this are to aid students to compose their writings in a more purposeful way in and out of school. The study recommended the organization of writing contests can be organized and best writers and instructors rewarded, encouragement of learners to write regularly, by giving them tasks that motivate them and guiding them through the topics given with resources for writing should be provided by schools and their use be monitored and GES posting more teachers to the study area since the area suffers an acute shortage of English language teachers.