The English Language Education Study Program, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), University of Mataram, continues to innovate in improving the quality and timeliness of students’ study completion. One of these efforts is realized through the implementation of a pilot project on umbrella research mentoring, specifically designed to assist students in accelerating the preparation of their research proposals and theses.
This program is grounded in the reality that many students still face difficulties in completing their theses, ranging from challenges in identifying research topics and limited mastery of research methodology to difficulties in writing in academic English. In response to these issues, the lecturer team of the English Language Education Study Program has developed a mentoring model that is more structured, collaborative, and directly integrated into the Research on ELT course.
A total of 20 sixth-semester students are involved in this pilot project. They are guided through an umbrella research approach centered on a single overarching theme, namely the development of multimodal text-based English teaching modules. Through this shared theme, students gain clearer research direction while still retaining the flexibility to develop their individual research focuses.
The mentoring is conducted in a blended format, combining face-to-face meetings and online sessions. Students participate in a series of workshops covering the identification of research focus, the development of problem backgrounds, literature reviews, and the design of research methodologies. The entire mentoring process is supported by a Google Sites platform that serves as a hub for materials, schedules, and communication.
The implementation of the program shows positive outcomes. All participants successfully produced research proposal drafts that are ready to be further developed into theses, with several students already progressing to the proposal defense stage. In addition to accelerating academic progress, this initiative has also enhanced students’ confidence in conducting research and academic writing.
Looking ahead, this pilot project is expected to serve as a sustainable model for thesis mentoring and to make a tangible contribution to improving on-time graduation rates among students of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Mataram.
[English Language Education Study Program Pilot Project Team, University of Mataram: I Made Sujana, Eka Fitriana, Lalu Thohir, Arafiq, Agus Saputra, La Ode Alfin H. Munandar]
