Gender-Based Differences in EFL Writing : Linguistic Features Used in Indonesian High School Students’ Narrative Texts

Abstract

This thesis entitled “Gender-Based Differences in EFL Writing: Linguistic Features Used in Indonesian High School Students’ Narrative Texts” aims to investigates differences in the use of linguistic features in narrative texts written by male and female senior high school students in Indonesia. This research uses a qualitative design by collecting narrative texts written by high school students from one of the Tutoring and English Course Institutions in Indonesia. This research focused on lexicogrammar of narrative text proposed by Peter Knapp, (2005). Data were analyzed using content analysis methods to identify differences in the use of lexicogrammar features between male and female students. The results showed that there were significant differences in linguistic preferences between the two groups, with male students frequently employing action verbs to portray challenging outdoor activities and a sense of responsibility, while female students preferred to use mental verbs to express emotions, thoughts and subjective experiences. In addition, female students also tend to use more adjectives in their narratives. These differences can be caused by social expectations, gender norms, individual writing styles, personal experiences, and cultural influences. This study provides a deeper understanding of language differences between male and female students, which can be used as a basis for more inclusive language teaching approaches in educational settings.