The Effects of Students’ Prior Knowledge of English on Their Writing of Researches

Abstract

This descriptive correlational study aims at examining the effects of students’ prior knowledge of English on their writing of researches at the tertiary education. It investigates students’ last achievements in different English courses they had learned before conducting research papers and shows their writing problems in researches. A convenient sample of forty nursing students in the Hashemite University in Jordan was asked to complete a structured questionnaire. The results revealed that students with previous knowledge in English performed better in writing researches than those who lacked this knowledge. Some students whose achievements had been low in English got the lowest grades in the research course. They made many errors in their research content exemplified in the research questions, organization, references, results and literature review. This study can be helpful in increasing students’ consciousness of research writing.