Academic writing challenges in vocational contexts

A discourse analysis approach

Abstract

This study uses a qualitative discourse analysis approach to examine students’ written paragraphs, focusing on topic sentences, paragraph structure, cohesion, coherence, and grammar. The results show that students’ writing skills are still below academic expectations. Many paragraphs lack clear topic sentences, develop ideas inconsistently, and show weak cohesion and coherence due to inappropriate conjunctions and poor logical flow. Frequent grammatical errors—such as faulty sentence structure, incorrect affix use, and inconsistent punctuation—also reduce clarity. These findings highlight the need for contextual, skills-based teaching materials that emphasize process-oriented writing, explicit instruction on topic sentences, and stronger mastery of cohesion, coherence, and basic grammar. The study further suggests improvements for curriculum design, especially through systematic writing practice and feedback in Indonesian language courses. Theoretically, the research expands discourse-analysis studies in vocational settings, while practically supporting students’ ability to write technical and scientific reports. Overall, the study contributes to strengthening academic writing readiness and improving academic literacy in Indonesia’s polytechnic education system.