difficulties in answering essay types of question

CHAPTER l
INTRODUCTION
Essay is so broad that is difficult to define. An essay is a short piece of writing that discusses, describes or analyses one topic. It can range in length from one paragraph to more than twenty. It can be about anything, and be written in almost any style. It can be serious or funny, straight-forward or symbolic. It can describe personal opinions or just report information. Essay examination consists of question to which the students respond in one or more sentence to a specific question. It is widely considered as measuring foe evaluating knowledge of the subject matter or a measure in writing where it test the students ability to express his/her ideas accurately and to think critically within a certain period of time. Essay items are utilized to measure a student’s ability to understand a concept as an integrated whole, demonstrate higher order learning objectives and express original, creative, thinking. Because essay requires students to generate their response. They are considered recall or supply items. Depending in the nature of learning objective being assessed, essay may either require extended or restricted responses. An extended-response essay generally targets synthesis or evaluation levels of understanding and allows for extensive freedom in the content and format of the response; a restricted-response item is more specific and provides narrow guidelines for responding to the items, in addition to this distinction, essay items are classified as subjective assessment as there may be a range of variability in cored responses. One of the benefits of essay is that they go beyond simple measurement of content knowledge and offer students the opportunity to demonstrate indgment, writing style, vocabulary and insight. The comprehensive nature of essay items makes them ideal for assessing how students selects, organize and evaluate ideas. The main drawback of essay items is the time and effort requires for consisting scoping. Although essay types of question are one of the most commonly used methods for assessing students learning, many are poorly designed and ineffectively used. Writing effective essay questions requires training and practice. There are subtle characteristics or effective essay questions that are often difficult to discuss for those without training. Educators choose essay types of question over other forms or assessment essay items challenge students to create a response rather than to simply select a response, some educators use them because essay have a potential to reveal student’s abilities t reason, create, analyse, synthesizes, and evaluate. In short, essay items are used for the advantages they offer. According to McKeachie, essays tests enable the students’ abilities to organize, integrate, interpret materials and express themselves in their own words. It also gives you an opportunity to comment on students’ progress, to quality if their thinking. The depth of their understanding, and the difficulties they may be having. Sometimes students think of essay in the same way that they think about questions that here is a cored answer required. So they spend a lot of time looking for the correct answer as if the topic was a question. Essay types, although often written like a question are not questions that there is only one “correct” response possible. If the reader were to look through a collection of essay form any one subject may sec a many different responses to the topic as they were essay. So the content of essay reflect quite a wide range of possible approaches to the topic yet each of this individual text would share some recognizable features that identify them as a belonging to the genre of essay. Any kind of difficulty always trigger the question “why?” sometimes difficulties simple point to an area that needs additional time and effort. Whether they represent a temporary problem, a learning difference or addressed. When teacher, parents and students work persistently effectively to address difficulties student learn many things. They learn problem solving strategies, they learn about themselves and they learn about the value of persistence. They develop a sense of competence and become more motivated they learn that their efforts do make.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The researcher wants to know the difficulties of the students in answering essay types of test. They noticed that some students answer essay test for submission purpose. Before the researchers also have difficulties in answering essay types of test which evoked them to conduct this study.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This is an attempt to determine the difficulties in answering essay types of test as revealed by the students of International School for Better Beginnings.
Specially, the answers to the following are sought.
1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:
Age
Gender
2. What are the most common difficulties in answering essay type of question?
3. What are the common strategies used by the teacher in essay test?
4. Is there a significant difference between the responses of the respondent in terms of gender?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The result of this study may be a great importance to the teacher and to the students. On the part of the students, this may improve their ideas and knowledge in writing. On the part of the teacher they may become more effective in imparting knowledge to the students.
The result of this study may be able to improve understanding of written materials as well as increase the ability to express own ideas and increase skills in writing particularly in English, which is difficult to the students. Through this study the researcher may implant possible remedies that may be help the students to overcome difficulties.
SCOPE AND LIMITATION Tis study is focused to the difficulties of the students in answering essay types of test in International School for Better Beginnings S.Y 2013-2014. There are 40 respondents from selected high school students.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Age
The length of time that has existed; duration life
Difficulties
Are something which cannot easily be done, understand of believe
Essay
It is a prose narrative in which the written shares with the readers his thoughts and ideas, his feelings and observation on some phases of life.
Gender
It is the sexuality of the respondents.

CHAPTER II
RELATED LITERATURE According to Baduel (1990) essay is an attempt to put paper some meditations on a chosen subject which interest the author and for which he solicits the interest of the teacher. It may written as a letter, a public address, an editorial, or magazine article, or a book review. According to McGraw (1990), the essay is more than any other form of literature with the possible exception of lyric poetry the full revelation of the personality of the author. He may speak to us in the first person or the third; he may address us directly or seemingly unconscious of our presence. He may treat of habits tendencies, movement, or morals. But because he has finished, he has consciously or unconsciously, told us something of himself. From his cross-section of his mind, we are in some of least to reconstruct the whole man. Gray (1991) furthermore said, that the few, if any, essays limit themselves to pure exposition; they are not so much statement of facts as comment on the facts and opinions about the meaning of the facts. And this means that the author has an attitude towards his facts and wishes, presumably, to pass and a particular attitude to his reader. The essay is more than presentation of facts, an interpretation of facts. A writer can hardly be completely object and noncommittal and as a rule he is not trying to be. He formally changes his writing to win the reader to his own interpretation, using not only the force of logical arrangement but emotional colouring of the conclusions at which he has arrived by process of logic. According to Barreth (1990) there are things that considered as difficulty related to essay writing. Such as organizing exposition and understanding the form of outlines. Many writers are to be written, and yet find it almost impossible to make an outline which is genuinely helpful in organizing their own exposition. Past of the difficulty is the simple fact that, until we have begun writing about it. We often do not understand our own thought clearly enough to outline it with the assurance that our first outline win exactly represent the final pattern of our paper. Even the best written finds his thoughts taking new shape as he works with it and when that happens scraps his initial outline and makes a new one. Williamson (1998) said that during his years as an editor, he has seen probably hundreds of job applicants who were either just out of college or in their senior’s years. All wanted “to write”. Most of these young men and women could not write plain English. According to Holt (1993) writing plain English is another difficulty related to make essay writing. Because writing plain English is important to make essay writing good and perfect. Apparently, Holt Dryden discusses about their noses had not been rub teed the drudgery of putting one simple will-chosen word behind the other. The best thing to do is to practice and read more literature about languages. Freedman (1985) collected difference reasons from different written and Edith HudleStone concluded that “The unreality of essay examination is most pronounced in an area of English composition”. According to Schwarts (1986) writing is diving off a high dive and knowing if there is water in the fool, dragging yourself through a long dream, sometimes a nightmare entertaining myself, a way not to be lonely, for the paper listed. Writing will capture student’s interest than ease them into writing before they realize they are actually writing and enjoying it. Micucci, (1982) teacher in Lawrence Junior high school, long island, New York said that “If we are to succeed at anything. We must love what we do and rarely get tired of doing it. “The teaching of writing is obviously no exception, yet to me the rewards are worth all the time, the effort and sacrifices. Only English teachers can understand the pride, satisfaction and indescribable into written before our very eyes. Atkins, (1996) said that he has been an “article”, complete with pre-packages answers; following the philosophy and the form of the essay, almost as a lifestyle, has allowed him to become a better person, to better envision the life of the “other”. Atkins piece not only gives some insight into the difficult-to-define structure and purpose of the essay, it offers us an interesting pedagogical approach to the essay, that learning often question more important than learning to memorize answers for an exam, and as such, advocates the teaching of the personal essay in spite of the difficulties inherent in writing it, especially for less mature students. It is better to write a bad essay than to master mechanical impersonal prose; the challenge alone inspires would be writers and forces them to extend their capabilities.
Elizabeth cones, (1996) said that essays require strong sentences and thoughtful ideas; the essay’s inherent openness, experimentation and scepticism encourage creativity.
Atwan, (1995) examines the essay as a genre working within the genres. More specifically, he describes the “intregeneric character” of the essay which is also referred to in academic discourse as the “interpolated essay”, “embedded essay”, or the “invented essay” that function inside specific words of fiction.
Dauches, (1996) grapples with the definition of the essay. As a genre “the most self-indulgent of all literary form”. He asserts that the “current generation” is in need of an essayist who writers solely to celebrate his or her “Mastery of English Prose”. He predicts that appeals only to a narrow audience, can only continue to be labelled essays if the authors are willing to show the “infinite relevance” of the topic to the world of human thought.
According to Orienda (1987), essay tests asses the student’s ability to produce, integrate and express his ideas and allow the students to be original and creative.
Epstein, (1985) wrote an overview of the history and rise of the essay as a genre, he occasionally offers some words on the definition, form, connection and structure of the essay. He agrees that the essay is often viewed as a second-rate genre, for more than a less-than-excellent higher form of literature.
La Ferte, (1990) gave four major points on writing the personal essay. Along with these tips, she also express the need for the emotion in such essays, however, stresses that emotional writing an essay.
Lopate, (1989) deals primarily on the history of essay. He traces the history of the essay but only with marginal care. One of his concerns is the death of conversational style in writing. Compared to other writings on the state of affairs the essay is in piece of marginal without substantial forays into new theory. Mclean, (1994) discussed the significant f essay’s thus the specific authors and lends itself to the critical discussion about the lines drawn in personal narratives between what is perceived as truth in writing and therefore as real and non-fictional or honest and what is perceived as fictional.
According to Clark (1990), an essay question always has a controlling ideas expressed in one or two key words.

RELATED STUDIES Adelia, (1989-1990) in her study, causes of difficulties in writing composition found out that the errors by the fourth year students in the lower sections revealed their ignorance of the rules of grammar, lock of power retentively, and lack of exposure to correct works, poor reading habits, no sufficient concentration on exercise and above all, motivation and lack of interest in the work. Mcquade, (1993) found out that the college entrance examination board achievement test in composition includes question, conserving correctives in grammar as well as punctuation, diction and in sage; of whom those might enhance a student performance on the achievement. Barreth, (1993) said that there are good reasons for teaching composition classes the functional nature of English. It is refreshing approach for grammar. Weary students, for more stimulating to most freshmen than repetition of the grammar drilled of reference with which writing problems of greater complexity can be understood, unlike traditional grammar, it does not divorce syntax from the topic. It teachers not by definition and memorization but by explanation of the nature of language and certainly we should use more nature methods than definitions and memorization. Rosenblatt (1998) based on his study, essay share example techniques used in the writing of critical essay itself. Clancky and Ballard, (1981 rpt. 1997) interpreted on their study that there is a wide range of well thought test available that for students, both first and second language speakers, the test on which the presiding five points is based offers an excellent, thoughtful, comprehensive and easy to read dissension of the skills requires and the approach exception to academic writing in English. Camacho, (1984) reported that in high school, the development of the basic skills in writing composition is an essential phase of language instruction. For the matter, theme writing activities specially take care of that phase of language of instruction which relates to the converging of ideas in correct modes of expression and acceptable written language. It is one way of developing the pupil’s skills in the interesting activity. Theme writing has for its major objectives the development of skills which provide practice in expressing ideas and facts those pupils accumulated in the previous grade which finally would be free and genuine expression. Clancky, (1981) noted that there are guide range of well thought out texts available that set out the skills of academic essay writing. Most departments in their subject hand out suggest texts that will be most helpful for the subject. Ballard, (1997) found out on his study that both first and second language speakers. The text on which the preceding five points is based offers an excellent, thoughtful, comprehensive and easy to read discussion of the skills required and the approach expected to academic writing in English. Moore, (1992) deals with the idea that the strength of anything you build defends largely on its structure. She offers quite a different view that being meditations on object the essay embodying our though processes or being meditations on subject. In the prose study of Rogers, (1993) Roger’s main purpose is to reinstate. Samuel Johnson’s periodical essay “The Rambler” he attributes this isolation from the periodical essay genre. Rogers interested the broadening definition of periodical essay to include the trivial and the serious, the text full of illusions to authorize of the past and the text that is based just on observation of the present. Rout (1999) discussed the perspective of E.B white and his life and how to become writer he was according to E.B White “The essayist is a self-liberated man sustained by the childish belief that everything he thinks about everything that happens to him is a general interest. Routs painted out only the person who is self-centred has stamina to write to prove a paints root relates White to another well now writer, Montaigne, who claims to his readers to be self-cantered to his work. According to Simonson (1996) writing essay sets up three essential steps becoming a powerful writer finding yourself, finding your subject and finding your style, while another essay even or containing misspellings, pronoun-antecedent regulates, vile punctuation or with what has sets ups earlier as his central them. That behind the essay is a person who’s self, subject and style interact and give essays its life. In the study of Erickson (1997) he found out a variation of an essay test asks students to correct, expand, or refute mock essays. Two weeks before the exam date, he distributes ten to twelve essay questions, which he discusses with student in class. For the actual exam, he selects four of the questions and prepares well written but intellectually flawed answers for the students to edit, correct, expand and refuse. The mock essay contains common misunderstanding correct but incomplete responses or absorb notion; in some cases the answer has only one or two flaws. He reports the students seem to enjoy this type of test more than traditional examination. Comprone (1990) one of the written is known as “science essayists” described Eiseley’s essays as not only scientific but also as reliant on narrative. Thus, according their narrative features. The “Plots” or which convince readers that they can understand something scientific that was previously “incomprehensible” He encourage writing teachers to “ be literate in a dialogic context” by instructing students how to write both scientifically, by telling stories that patterned methodologies and narrative by telling stories that help relate the significance of their topic to others.

Chapter III
Research Methodology
This part contains the methods and procedures followed by the researcher in conducting this study.

Research Design
In this study researcher use the descriptive methods to find the difficulties encountered in answering essay type of test in International School for Better Beginnings concerning the current status of the subject study. Descriptive method that involve in the collection of data in order to test the hypotheses or to answer questions concerning the current status of the subject’s study. In a developmental studies which intends on the progressive along a number of progression such as intellectual, physical, emotional or social development.

Research Respondent
The researcher will select 40 high school student of International School for Better Beginnings.
Data Gathering Procedure For the start our teacher told use to list three topics for my thesis. After choosing one out of my three given topic the researcher started by giving the significance of the study and its goal and objectives. And what are the remedies that the researcher can give in the topic that she conducted. By the month of August he/she ask to pass the related studies about may research topic and by the September the researcher need to pass the chapter 1, 2 and 3.
Statistical Treatment
Difficulties in answering essay type of test.
For the demographic profile the researcher used the percentage distribution (P) :
P = F × 100 N

Whereas:
F - Frequency
N - Number of respondents Wv = (F) (Wp)

Whereas:
F - Frequency
Wp - Weighted point

Research Instrument
Questionnaire
The questioners were referred to the research paper adviser and some reliable source of information for guidance, recommendation and paper construction. It was composed of two parts. The demographic profile and questionnaire paper.

DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN ANSWERING ESSAY QUESTION OF SELECTED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL FOR BETTER BEGINNINGS
QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Respondent, Peace be with you! We are currently conducting a research with the title above. In order to fulfil the goals of the study, some information coming from you is needed. With all due respect, we are requesting you to answer the following questions honestly and righteously.
Respectfully yours,
Researcher

Demographic Profile
Part I
Please check the option that is true to you.
AGE:
12
13
14
15
16
17 and above
GENDER:
Male
Female

YEAR LEVEL: ____________

QUESTIONNAIRE PROPER
PART II: What are the most common difficulties in answering essay type of question? Check the option that corresponds to your answer, opinion, or perception, according to how you agree on the statements below. Weigh your answer according to how much you agree to the statement as: SA-Strongly Agree D-Disagree A-Agree SD-Strongly Disagree
STATEMENT
SA
A
D
SD
1. Word meaning affects you in answering essay type test.

2. The capacity of the students should b fit in answering essay.

3. Writing plain English is more difficult in answering essay.

4. Hunger affects the students who are answering essay.

5. Mood affects you in answering essay.

6. Time affects you while answering an essay especially when running out of time.

7. Family problems can affect you in answering essay-type test

8. You were destructed when the environment is noisy.

9. It is hard to answer question when it is too long.

10. Constructing sentence is very difficult.

PART III: What is the most strategy used by teachers in giving an essay test? Check the option that corresponds to your answer, opinion, or perception, according to how you agree on the statements below. Weigh your answer according to how much you agree to the statement as: SA-Strongly Agree D-Disagree A-Agree SD-Strongly Disagree
STATEMENT
SA
A
D
SD
1. Advising the student to read books.

2. Answering a create question of your teacher is harder than the question in the textbook.

3. Personal experiences should be included in essay question.

4. YES-NO question is an effective type of essay question.

5. Practicing the word drill to enhance vocabulary for answering essay test.

6. Always giving the student a seatwork connected to the word.

7. Advising the student to memorize a word from dictionary.

8. Media is an effective way of giving essay questions for the student to understand easily.

9. A reality type of question makes you cope the story you’ve read before.

10. Using unfamiliar words in the questions makes you stay longer in one item.

Bibliography

Barret, Laurence .1990. Writing for college America book company
Baduel, concesa milan.1996.integrated approaches in teaching of language and literature in tertiary level.
The mseuf quarterly.,jan. 1996.vol. Xxxiv no.2.
McGraw, H. Ward. 1980. Prose and Poetry of America
Gray, George W. 1983. Introduction of essay. Aleman Phoenix Press.
Holt. Henry," College Writing and Essay " A HoltDryden Book.
Freedman, Sara Warshaver. 1985. "Some Reasons for the Grade We Give in Composition." English Journal vol. 71, no. 3.
Miccuci, Cheryl. 1982. "Stream Lining Adolescent Writing"
English Journal vol. 71, no. 3

Bibliography: Barret, Laurence .1990. Writing for college America book company Baduel, concesa milan.1996.integrated approaches in teaching of language and literature in tertiary level. The mseuf quarterly.,jan. 1996.vol. Xxxiv no.2. McGraw, H. Ward. 1980. Prose and Poetry of America Gray, George W. 1983. Introduction of essay. Aleman Phoenix Press. Holt. Henry," College Writing and Essay " A HoltDryden Book. Freedman, Sara Warshaver. 1985. "Some Reasons for the Grade We Give in Composition." English Journal vol. 71, no. 3. Miccuci, Cheryl. 1982. "Stream Lining Adolescent Writing" English Journal vol. 71, no. 3