ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF MALAY ESSAY WRITING SKILLS

This study aims to identify the issues and challenges faced in the teaching and learning of Malay essay writing skills among students. Writing skills are an important aspect of mastering the Malay language as they enable students to express ideas clearly and coherently. However, students often encounter problems such as lack of interest in reading, limited vocabulary, difficulties in using affixes, as well as weaknesses in grammar and idea development. From the teachers’ perspective, teaching approaches that are still teacher-centered and place little emphasis on higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) also affect the effectiveness of learning. This study proposes a collaborative approach as an alternative strategy to enhance students’ writing skills more effectively. The findings are expected to assist Malay language teachers in improving their teaching methods and boosting students’ achievement in writing skills. The collaborative approach is hoped to address the existing issues and be widely adopted to elevate Malay language teaching and ensure students master critical writing skills in the 21st century.