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For final year post graduate students the data
collection process was undertaken around two
weeks. Data gathering was personally administered
by the researchers. In light of the positive feedback,
good responses with a total of 51 completed ques-
tionnaires were collected. A total of 101 responses
were successfully obtained from both methods of
data collection.
The reliability tests were undertaken for Section
B and C. Items used in stipulated dimensions were
reliable with a coefficient alpha value of 0.82 for
Section B and 0.91 for Section C.
Table 1. Reported mean scores for reading comprehen-
sion and writing skills (n
=
101) .
4
RESULT AND ANALYSIS
4.1 Respondent profile
The majority of the respondents were part-time
students with 59.4 percent (n
=
60) compared to
40.6 percent (n
41) of full time students. This
is anticipated as the majority of students who
enrolled in postgraduate study in many universi-
ties are among the working individuals as opposed
to full time students. Almost equal proportion of
female students with 50.5 percent (n
=
=
51) com-
pared to 49.5 percent (n
50) of male students.
Among those respondents, 87.1 percent (n
=
88)
in the range of 20-30 years old while the remain-
ing 12.9 percent (n
=
Scale: 1 = Most Difficult, 2 = Difficult, 3 = Slightly Dif-
ficult, 4 = Easy, 5 = Easiest).
=
13) was in the range of 31-35
years old.
4.2 Reading comprehension and writing skills
A descriptive statistic was undertaken looking
respondent toward reading comprehension and
writing skills. The range of mean scores from 1.0
to 2.4 of all items in this section analysis posited
that students were having difficulties in reading
comprehension and writing skills. Difficulties are
expressed in developing an adequate reading and
comprehension skills (M
analytical manner that generates new knowledge
and insight (M
1.01, C10), grammatical accuracy
and appropriateness (M
=
1.00, C11), using proper
and appropriate vocabularies (M
=
1.32, C12),
constructing the references with the right format
(M
=
1.31, C13) and using the suitable verb phrase
and the nouns (M
=
1.36, C14).
Most difficulty were also responding in express-
ing thoughts clearly in English (M
=
2.26, C1), traced in
understanding particular concepts or text materi-
als (M
=
1.39, C15),
consider a possible structure for writing their
thesis (M
=
2.38, C2), connecting components of a
larger strategic reading process (M
=
1.41, C16), writing, interpretation of
the results derived from analysis (M
=
2.39, C3).
Similar difficulty was experienced in recognizing
the suitable phases from text material to be used
(M
=
1.28, C17),
formulating and justifying empirical research ques-
tions for their study (M
=
1.18, C18) and the overall
writing phase/process of a thesis (M
=
2.40, C4), developing narrative summaries
from text material (M
=
=
1.17, C19).
2.37, C5) and understand-
ing academic or research language (M
=
1.82, C6).
Compare to reading comprehension, writing
elements is the most difficult part experiencing by
students in accomplishing their thesis work. Most
difficulty were experiencing in determining the
appropriate writing styles (M
=
4.3 Experiences in thesis completion
The last descriptive analysis was looking at the
overall experience of post graduate students in
accomplishing their thesis project. The mean score
ranges between 3.84 and 4.72, indicate that the
majority of students agree and strongly agree with
the statements probed in the questionnaire survey.
They agree that lack of writing skills (M
1.30, C7), to come
up and formalize the ideas in writing (M
=
1.16,
C8), connecting between statements and para-
graph (M
=
=
1.01, C9), arguing findings in an
=
3.93,
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