Students’ Needs and Challenges in Academic Writing: Toward a Social Media–Based Module for Digital Literacy and International Publication

Abstract

This study investigates students’ needs, challenges, abilities, digital literacy, and learning preferences in academic writing to inform the development of a social media–based English for Academic Writing module. Using a descriptive quantitative design, data were collected from 77 third-semester English education students at Universitas Negeri Makassar through a Likert-scale questionnaire. Findings show that students prioritize thesis and research proposal writing but face challenges in grammar, vocabulary, idea organization, and citation practices. Their abilities are generally moderate, with notable weaknesses in technical aspects. While students demonstrate adequate digital literacy in basic tools, they lack proficiency in advanced academic technologies. Social media engagement is dominated by YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, with academic platforms rarely used. Students prefer interactive video tutorials, structured text modules, and immediate feedback. These results underline the importance of integrating social media into academic writing instruction to enhance students’ international publication readiness and digital literacy