Exploring Student’s Perception on The Usage of QuillBot in Writing Research Proposal at English

Education Study Program

By:

Name: Annisa Fatiha Sarif

NIM: 2019-36-094

ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECT

Research Question:

1. What are students’ perceptions on the usage of QuillBot in writing research proposal?

2. What benefits did the students find in using QuillBot in writing proposal?

CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter discusses some related literature to the study. Literature is required to provide

theoretical explanation. The theories that are discussed in this chapter are Student’s Perception,

Writing, Research Proposal, and QuillBot. This chapter also discusses empirical review and

conceptual framework.

A. Theoretical framework

2.1 Student’s Perception

2.1.1 Definition of perception

According to the Big Indonesia Dictionary (Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia), perception

is an immediate reaction to anything; it is the process in which people know things through their

five senses. Moreover ,William (2014) cited by Fitriana & Nurazni (2022) states that perception

is a way of explaining to others what people think.

Another expert says that perception is thought, understanding, and interpretation obtained

through understanding and thinking about something, Webster (2014). Then, Robbins and Judge

(2013) as cited in Mahreda (2017), states that perception is the process through how individuals
arrange and interpret their sensory perceptions in order to make sense of their surroundings.

Fitriana & Nurazni (2022) adds that student perception can be described as the student's context

regarding their learning style, which includes their personality, which is auditory, kinesthetic,

and reading/writing. It also refers to students' ideas and beliefs about a current issue.

By the support of the definitions provided above, it can be concluded that perception is a

way of processing information obtained from human sensory organs or information about an

issue or thing in order to produce meaning in the environment.

2.1.2 Types of perception

According to Mcdonald (2012) cited in Lailatul, (2022) , perception affects people's

views, behavior, and choices in their life. Perception is divided into two categories; positive

perception, and negative perception. Both are described in the following paragraph;

1. Positive perception

Positive perception is a person's positive view of something, or giving good judgment. It

will happen when the object of perception matches up with knowledge; in other words, positive

perception is the process of accepting and supporting the object perceived based on one's

knowledge of the object.

2. Negative perception

The negative perception is the perception that describes information (known or unknown)

negatively or not suitable for the perceived object. In other words, negative perception is the

negative interpretation that involves humans evaluating something

around them.

2.2 Writing
 2.2.1 Definition of Writing

According to Alkhowarizmi & Hamdani (2022), writing is a productive activity

that includes steps such as discovering and transforming ideas, thoughts, and feelings into

written form, as well as revising several times to create a grammatically and ordered document.

writing is the ability to express thoughts, feelings, or point of view of something in written form.

People can communicate with other people in written form by using writing to offer information,

purpose, and suggestions (Ratna Ferira, 2020 pt 7)

In addition Fitriana & Laeli (2022) defines that writing is an activity in which individuals

express or show their ideas, emotions, feelings and thoughts through written form that can be a

way to communicate with others. Salaxiddinovna (2022), also emphasized that writing is

essential for students besides as a way of communication it also is a crucial skill in everyday

life, such in business, creativity, and academic work projects.

Furthermore, according to Nunan (2003) in Fitriana (2022:18), Writing is an intellectual

activity which includes discovering an idea and deciding how to convey and organize it into a

sentence and paragraph that is easily understood by others.

Based on the explanation listed above, the researcher concluded that writing is the skill to

convey thoughts, feelings, or opinions in written form. individuals can interact and communicate

with others through writing to provide knowledge, information, purposes, and suggestions.

2.2.2. The Process In Writing

Writing process is the first step before starting writing. According to

Harmer (2004), the writing process examines what individuals accomplish during the time they

write text. Harmer (2004:4) also emphasized that the writing process is a step a writer goes

through in order to create something in the final form of writing. This process can, of course, be
influenced by the content (subject matter) of the writing, the type of writing and the medium of

the writing.

Moreover, according to Harmer (2004), the process of writing is divided into four stages;

planning, drafting, editing, and the last one is the final version.

a. Planning

In this phase the writer frequently makes a list of ideas connected to the topic and they

have considered three major issues such as the aims, the audience, and content of the writing.The

first step is to determine the aim of writing and what information from the text ought to be

included in the writing. The second is the writer must consider the audience this is related to

language types used (it is formal or informal). The last thing to consider is the piece structure of

content (plan out the facts, concepts, or opinions that the author has determined to include).

b. Drafting

In this phase the writer will begin to write the concepts they intend to write without

regard for the errors they will produce, because they need to focus on developing ideas and the

organization of their writing more than focusing on correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

c. Editing

In this phase the writer should revise their first draft after writing it to see if it works or

not. Furthermore, editing processes can ask for oral or written feedback from peers. The input

will assist them in revising their work.

d. Final Version

This is the last phase, after all stages have been accomplished the writer has to re-write

the paper after revising it with peers, which produces a well-written text in the final step.
 2.2.3 Genres of Writing

In writing English, writing has a genre that makes it a second language and the

language used around the world. Each genre literally focuses on describing events, theories, or

other ideas in a specific way. According to Brown (2004) the genre of writing is divided into

three. Those are described in the following paragraph.

a. Academic Writing

According Fillalba (2021), academic writing is defined as a piece of written form or

project given to students in educational settings, and it is an important part of the educational

process in higher education. Moreover, Rezeki & Riyanti (2023), also stated that academic

writing is defined as formal writing performed in an educational setting, which includes essays,

research proposals, thesis, dissertations, and articles.

Moreover, Bailey (2011) in Apriyani (2022;10) also adds that types of academic writing

are divided into six; notes, report, project, essay,dissertation/thesis, and paper. Those are describe

as follows:

1. Notes

According to KBBI (Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia) notes is a book that is smaller in

size than a notebook, to record things that are considered important (usually the sheets can be

removed or easily removed); notebook

2. Report

A report is a written form that provides information about things as it currently exists and

as the product of systematic analysis and observation ( Swandi, 2019). This text is typically a

student's most extensive piece of writing (20,000+ words).

 3. Project

Project is a piece of research task, done individually or teamwork, on the student's topic.

4. Essays

Writing essays is one of the abilities that students have to master when studying academic

writing. It is one of the requirements for students who take English as a course to be able to write

essays. However, it is not easy to do because students must understand how to write an excellent

essay when writing one. According to Oshima & Hogue (2010:56) the essay is a multi-paragraph

piece of writing. It is on a single topic, just as a paragraph.However, because the essay topic is

too much to cover in one paragraph, it should be divided into paragraphs, one for each main

point

5. Dissertation/ Thesis

According to Puspita (2019), a thesis is a piece of written work that contains details about a

specific topic that someone has investigated. Thesis is a type of academic writing that is required

of students who will be graduating from university. Thesis is a type of academic writing paper

which is done by students after their conducted research.

6. Paper

A form of text, similar to an essay, with the educator title, often ranging from 1000 to 5000

words.

b. Job-related Writing
Its objective is to make a lot of illustrations, assisting the reader in better understanding a subject

in job-related writing. Here are several examples of media that can be used in job-related writing;

Message (text messages) Letters/emails Interoffice memos Job assessments and project reports

Labels, schedules, and signs Manuals

c. Personal Writing

Personal writing is individual’s writing, it is usually include emails, letters, greetings cards,

invitations, messages and notes, calendar entries, shopping lists, reminders, financial documents

(e.g., checks, tax forms, loan applications), forms, questionnaires, medical reports, immigration

documents, diaries, personal journals, fiction (e.g., short story, poem), diaries, personal journals,

and personal journals.

2.3 Research Proposal

2.3.1 The General Description of Research Proposal

According to Fauzan & Hasanah (2022), a research proposal is a paper that specifies the

thesis topic, outlines the issue that will be answered in the thesis, and illustrates why the topic

supports further research. Research proposal is an outline of the research strategy that will be

conducted forward. It is the first phase in a comprehensive research process that students will go

through in order to do research ( Budiarto,2023). Writing a proposal is crucial for students

because without the research proposal, students will be unable to continue working on their

thesis (Susetyo, 2023). The research proposal also serves "as a research plan, assisting students

in gaining a significant objective of their studies and determining the research paths to pursue"

(Cited in Yustinus, 2023).

 In addition Karanja (2016) also emphasized that a research proposal is a project plan that

specifies a specific topic of research and discusses the research objectives, scope, methodology,

overall organization, and limits of the research. In general, the research proposal is divided into

three chapters that describe several majors namely: introduction, related literature to the study,

and research methodology.

1. Introduction

In the introduction section, the research proposal includes the reasons for choosing the topic,

specific areas of research, the problem statement of the research, research question, research

objectives, and research gaps.

2. Literature Review

Then in the review related research section, the writer must present relevant theory connected to

the topic chosen, as well as the empirical and conceptual framework of the research.

3. Methodology

Finally, in the methodology section, the writer must clarify what methodology will be used in

the research, also include the instruments, and data collection technique of the research.

2.4 QuillBot

According to Dale (2020), QuillBot is one of the most popular free paraphrase websites

tools on the internet. The artificial intelligence (AI) of Quillbot is utilized to offer paraphrases

depending on the text provided. QuillBot provides a solution for students who are struggling to

paraphrase their writing individually by supporting them in doing it instantly. QuillBot is an

internet tool that helps students paraphrase their writing to avoid plagiarism, and improve their

grammar so the writing may be more exact. The way to utilize this tool is simple. QuillBot can
modify text when we have composed or copied it and then just clicked the paraphrase button

( Gauri & Kinga, 2021).

QuillBot is available in two versions: free and premium. The free version limits the

amount of words that are allowed to be paraphrased at once to just around 125 words. The

premium version offers users to extend the maximum number of words to 10,000. There are

seven paraphrase options available on QuillBot ; Standard, fluent, formal, simple, creative,

expand, and shorten . Standard and fluency modes are completely free to use while another

advantage of being a premium QuillBot user is the ability to paraphrase in any mode.

There are some differences in the modes offered by QuillBot. Standard mode is the first

or default mode of QullBot. This mode combines any modifications it makes to the writing with

maintaining meaning while also making it look as natural as practical. The second mode is

fluency mode. Fluency mode employs a text-to-speech algorithm that makes the words in

English as grammatical and natural as possible while making small changes to the writing and

keeping the meaning.The formal mode is the third one. Formal mode modifies the topic of your

writing to make it more appropriate for a formal audience. This format is suitable for business

reports and academic writing. The fourth mode is simple mode. Simple mode is intended to

allow you to make as many modifications to the text as possible. This can have an effect on the

overall cohesion and relevance of the text.

The fifth mode is creative mode. Artificial intelligence (AI) of QuillBot becomes more

intuitive and recognizes things like speech and common phrases in language. The extended

mode is the sixth mode. Expand mode aims to make the text longer by adding as many words as

possible, and it is best suited for writings with a large number of words. Finally, the last mode of

QuillBot's is shorten mode. The shorten mode is useful to shorten your writing while keeping its
content intact, and it is quite practical when you need to minimize the whole text length or word

count.

Not only functions as a paraphrasing tool but also the features of QuillBot that have been

constantly established to improve the writing's quality include summarizing the sentence,

grammar checking, co-writer, citation generator, and plagiarism checking. The QuillBot version

that the writer wants to discuss here is the free version of QuillBot.

B. Empirical Reviews

There are several previous studies which are similar or in line related with this research,

in this case related with QuillBot as a paraphrasing tool. Here the researcher discusses several

previous studies that can be used as guidance for the researcher, as follow.

The first relevant study conducted by Nur Fitria (2021), she implemented the use of

Quillbot in English writing. The study aimed to review the QuillBot as an Artificial Intelligence

(AI) tool system for students’ in paraphrasing and rewriting English writing both in the free and

premium versions. According to the study QuillBot paraphrasing tools utilize four different way

to paraphrase the text: 1) using equations or synonyms, 2) modifying the shape of the word, 3)

using active or passive sentences, and 4) paraphrasing by changing the sequence of words in

sentences.

Another previous study was conducted by Kurniati & Fithriani (2022), this research

specifically investigates how post-graduate students view Quillbot as a digital tool for English

academic writing. This research revealed that the post-graduate students in this study responded

positively to using Quillbot to help them in improving the quality of their writing. Furthermore,

the use of Quillbot was found to have three benefits: 1)enhancing students' positive attitudes
toward writing, 2)providing a variety of user-friendly writing features, and 3)aiding students'

language development

More recent studies by Syahnaz & Fithriani (2023), looked at how students’ perception of

QuillBot utilization in an EFL academic writing course. The researcher discovered that students

responded positively to the use of QuillBot in academic writing.They also find QuillBot helpful

for three reasons: first, it improves the writing or argument; second, it reduces grammatical

issues; and third, it improves the language used in their writings.

The last previous study was conducted by Nur Fitria (2022), the researcher focused on

reviewing the use of QuillBot to paraphrase the students' scientific writing in order to avoid

plagiarism. The research shows that several ways QuillBot in paraphrasing includes changing the

word/phrase/ clause order, using synonyms, changing the sentence structure from active to

passive voice, and vice versa, also separating the information into separate sentences.

From the previous studies above there are some differentiates with this research. The

first differences come from the background. This research was conducted in the English

Education Study Program, Pattimura University. However, from the previous studies mentioned

above, it is noticed that although there is a large amount of literature that paid attention to the

usage and benefit of Quillbot in writing. There is no specific writing on the implementation of

QuillBot. Therefore the main focus in this research is to explore student’s perception on using

QuillBot in writing their research proposal.

C. Conceptual Framework

The researcher aims to investigate the usage of QuillBot in writing research proposal. The

researcher focuses on student’s perception of QuillBot and the benefit of using Quillbot in
writing research proposal. In this research qualitative case study method was adopted, and to collect

the data the researcher uses two kinds of instruments: questionnaire and interview. The

researcher use Questionnaire to find out how student’s perception on the usage of QuillBot and

what benefits did the students find in using QuillBot in writing their research proposal. Interview

will be used to dig deeper about what benefits did the students get when using QuillBot in

writing research-proposal.

The usage of QuillBot In writing research

proposal

Qualitative case study method

Questionnaire and Interview

The Benefits Student’s perception