English as a foreign language (EFL) source-based writing in Indonesian universities: investigating teaching and learning practices, perceptions, strategies, and challenges

Research concerning source-based writing (paraphrasing, summarising, and synthesising) has usually happened in contexts where English was used as the first language, with less work happening in contexts where it was the second language. However, little research exists regarding source-based writing in contexts where English is a foreign language, particularly how students and teachers understand and use sources in teaching and learning. It was the purpose of this sequential mixed method study involving 203 university students and five lecturers in South Kalimantan, Indonesia to understand the relationships between understandings and applications of the various forms of source-based writing in undergraduate English classes. Findings reveal that: 1. Students seem able to define the three source-based writing skills but exhibit little understanding of the differences between these skills; 2. Students encountered challenges in both reading and writing processing: writing when paraphrasing, reading when summarising and both when attempting to synthesise. 3. Synthesising seems most difficult for both lecturers and students; 4. Students are beginning to rely on Artificial Intelligence (AI) resources in response to their difficulties. The findings of this study are significant because writing difficulties seem rooted in reading difficulties and student use of AI resources may impede their development of important source-based writing skills and compromise remote assessment tasks.