Hungarian and Arabic Students’ Perceptions of Writing Successful MA Thesis Introductions: A Thematic Analysis of Semi-Structured Interviews

Khamaiseh, Maram Emad (2024) Hungarian and Arabic Students’ Perceptions of Writing Successful MA Thesis Introductions: A Thematic Analysis of Semi-Structured Interviews. ALKALMAZOTT NYELVTUDOMÁNY, Különs (2). pp. 86-107. ISSN 1587-1061

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Abstract

In genre studies, most researchers have focused on examining various sections of the MA thesis genre by conducting a textual analysis; thus, this research aims to identify the features of successful MA thesis introductions in the EFL setting based on text writers’ perceptions. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from six Hungarian and six Arabic L1 students. The findings showed that in their view successful MA introductions should be brief, general, clear, supported by references, organized, structured, catchy, and the opening chapter of the thesis. Both groups reported that mentioning the background, definitions, rationale, problem, aims, research design, questions, expectations, and thesis outline contribute to the quality of the introduction. The differences in their insights appeared in the inclusion of the thesis statement, context, research gaps, theoretical position, scope of the research, findings summary, limitations, and chapter structure. The two groups reported the application of different strategies to compose the section. Further investigation is needed to uncover the reasons behind the students’ perceptions.

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