Abstrak
Writing was a complex and essential skill in English language learning however, many students experienced difficulties, particularly in writing argumentative texts. This study aimed to identify the types of difficulties faced by twelfth-grade students of MAN 1 Payakumbuh in writing argumentative texts and to determine the possible causes of those difficulties. A descriptive quantitative research design was employed. The population consisted of 73 students from three classes, and 37 students were selected as samples using simple random sampling. The primary instrument for data collection was a closed-ended questionnaire developed based on the theories of Jacob and Levine, covering five aspects of writing: content, organization, vocabulary, language use, and mechanics, as well as four causal factors: attention, memory, language, and higher-order cognition. The findings revealed that students experienced significant difficulties in developing relevant ideas, organizing arguments logically, selecting appropriate vocabulary, and applying correct grammatical structures and mechanics. Most students also demonstrated weakness in using transition signals effectively, which affected the coherence of their paragraphs. Furthermore, the main factors contributing to these difficulties included limited attention during the writing process, poor memory in recalling writing rules, insufficient mastery of the English language, and low higher-order cognitive abilities in constructing and supporting arguments. These difficulties hindered the students’ ability to express ideas clearly and to present convincing arguments in written form. The results indicated that students required more structured guidance, explicit instruction on argumentative text components, and increased opportunities for practice. Therefore, this study recommended that English teachers employed appropriate writing strategies, provided clear models and feedback, and designed activities that strengthened students’ critical thinking and writing competence.