University Students’ Perceptions of Social Factors Influencing English Writing in Jakarta and South Tangerang

This study explores the social factors influencing university students’ English writing achievement in Jakarta and Tangerang Selatan, along with students’ perceptions of how these factors affect their writing performance. Employing a mixed-methods descriptive design, the research combines a survey of 100 English Education students across two universities with semi-structured interviews involving a sub-sample of 12 students to gain deeper insights. Data were collected using Likert-scale questionnaires to identify key social factors and analyzed descriptively, supported by qualitative thematic analysis of the interview transcripts. The findings reveal that students perceive several key social dimensions as influential to their writing development, including sociolinguistic background, socio-economic status and access to literacy resources, engagement with social media and online communities, the lecturer’s role and academic environment, family support, and peer dynamics. Moreover, these social factors present both opportunities and challenges for students’ writing proficiency. On one hand, social interactions enable students to model essay structures, exchange ideas, and learn proper mechanics, citations, and references. On the other hand, students face notable hurdles, such as difficulty accepting critique from peers and instructors, limited guidance due to large class sizes, and challenges in synthesizing expert ideas with their own understanding. Overall, the study underscores the need for targeted instructional support and improved feedback mechanisms in higher education writing contexts.