Exploring the Factors that Hinder Jordanian Students in Developing Creativity in EFL Writing

Abstract

Although Jordan has made great efforts to develop students" EFL writing skills in general and creativity in writing in particular, studies revealed that Jordanian students still had problems with creativity in writing. However, few studies have been conducted on creativity in EFL writing. Therefore, this study investigated the barriers that hinder student"s creativity in EFL writing. This qualitative study involved EFL secondary stage students in Jordan. Eight EFL male students were selected with the help of convenience sampling. The findings show that low-scoring EFL students' responses could be categorized into three themes, namely, inadequate vocabulary, lack of unity and coherence and lack of support. The study contributes to the literature concerning creativity in EFL writing in the context of Jordan and in the Arab region. Jordanian educators need to consider the constraining factors of creativity such as lack of vocabulary in order to enhance students" creativity in writing.