EFL Students’ Perceptions on Using Grammarly in Thesis Writing at English Education Department Students

This research aimed to identify EFL students’ perceptions of using Grammarly in writing their theses. Several problems were found in this research. Firstly, some EFL students utilized Grammarly for their thesis writing. Secondly, some EFL students did not understand how to use Grammarly. This research was descriptive qualitative research. The informants of this research were 7 students from English Education Department Class of 2023 who used Grammarly Premium in thesis writing. To gather data, this research used semi-structured interviews as the primary instrument. This research categorized the interview questions into three key indicators: interest, needs


INTRODUCTION
In higher education, graduation projects hold significant importance in promoting the creative capacity of students.In the realm of higher education, it is common for the majority of programs to require the completion of a research thesis as a prerequisite for obtaining the respective degree.A thesis is an academic paper that university students are obligated to undertake as their final effort, serving as a prerequisite for the attainment of several academic degrees.According to Neufville & Field (2013), a thesis is defined as a concept that an individual proposes and undertakes to support using logical reasoning and evidence-based arguments.The completion of a thesis is a necessary component for undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor's degree (S1) in university.
EFL students at university will face an undergraduate thesis.In this case, the EFL students specifically focus on students in English Education Department in State Islamic University of Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi, West Sumatera, Indonesia.These students are pursuing a degree in English education and are actively engaged in learning English as a foreign language.To fulfill the requirements of their English Education program, these students are obliged to write a thesis in English language.Once the student finishes their thesis, they are eligible to receive a bachelor's degree in education (S.Pd.), signifying their completion of studies and transition to a former student who is now an alumnus or alumna.
The undergraduate thesis that students write represents a form of academic writing.The organized research project entails the creation of a scientific project by undergraduate students, which is founded upon the findings and existing literature.According to Huiyun (2008), the completion of a graduation thesis serves as a significant exercise for university students, enabling them to enhance and broaden their professional knowledge while also fostering their preliminary development of scientific thinking and procedures.The completion of a thesis is a mandatory requirement for graduation for all university students and substantiated by logical and evidential reasoning (Magolda, 2003).
In the English Education Thesis Writing Guidelines (Pedoman Penulisan Skripsi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, 2020), it is stated that thesis writing is a form of academic writing that entails the proof of a research project.The research project then submitted as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Sarjana Pendidikan degree in the English Education Department at State Islamic University of Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi.Thesis writing allows students to demonstrate their ability to conduct independent research, analyze data, and present their findings in a scholarly manner.It is a crucial component of the academic journey that prepares students for future research and professional endeavors.However, despite the difficulties, students are expected to fulfill these requirements successfully.
The most difficult aspect of writing a thesis for students in the English Education Department is that it must be written in English, even though English is neither the first nor second language in Indonesia.English is provided as a foreign language in Indonesia, so students rarely use English in daily life.As EFL students, students frequently struggle when asked to write their ideas in English.Students often face difficulties understanding and incorporating the academic writing norms and conventions of the English language.The lack of exposure to English language and literature in the Indonesian education system makes it even more challenging for students in the English Education Department to write a thesis in English.
Due to the severe demands for the correctness in thesis writing, many students seek a convenient way to ensure their work is error-free (Nagel et al., 2020).Given that English is not the first language of Indonesian students, achieving grammatical accuracy poses a significant challenge (Komara & Tiarsiwi, 2021).
As the frequency of these issues arise, Maz Lytvyn and Alex Shevchenk designed and developed Grammarly in 2009 to help writing processes.
Grammarly is one of grammar-checking applications that can assist users with writing difficulty (Fitria, 2021).Grammarly (2023) claimed that this application could give a real-time interface for the users.The users can download the Grammarly application for Windows and Mac.Grammarly offers browser extensions for users to easily access Grammarly from any website, including Google, Docs, Medium, and Twitter.
Everyone can use the Grammarly application to help their writing process.Cavaleri and Dianati (2016) asserted that Grammarly has two primary types.First, Grammarly's free version offers grammar, punctuation, spelling checkers, and sentence structure and style support.Second, Grammarly's premium version, for which its users should pay USD 139.95 a year, offers checks of an additional 150 grammar points, plagiarism detection, selects paper types to improve the accuracy of the feedback, vocabulary enhancement suggestions, and provides contextual spelling feature, and gives users a score about their writing.Additionally, Cavaleri and Dianati (2016) mentions that Grammarly is touted as the world's most accurate English grammar checker (Cavaleri & Dianati, 2016).
Based on the previously mentioned reasoning, Lailika (2019) declares that Grammarly's users have benefits from using it.First, Grammarly provides both indirect and direct feedback.Secondly, it can fix grammatical errors in phrases and sentence structures and offer suitable suggestions.Third, by their mistakes in writing, users might gain their self-confidence in writing.Nevertheless, despite its advantages, Lailika (2019) believes that Grammarly may potentially have disadvantages.First, Grammarly's input isn't always applicable in a given situation.Second, any names, titles, and articles on the reference list are not editable.Third, Grammarly requires an internet connection, which can be expensive for students (Hakiki, 2021).Moreover, Grammarly is used for a variety of academic objectives by students at State Islamic University of Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi who are enrolled in the English Education program.This involves using Grammarly to create assignments and to write their theses.The students' use of Grammarly is supported by several factors, including peer recommendations, ads, and direct lecturer recommendations.These factors have a big impact on students' decisions to use Grammarly in their writing processes.
Nevertheless, some students were hesitant to use Grammarly.However, there remains a significant number of students who utilize it to rectify grammatical errors in the composition of their thesis writing.Thus, there were some problems related to students experienced in the field.The problems were found from the preliminary research by using Google Form questionnaire which was conducted on September 4 th , 2023.
Firstly, some students utilized Grammarly as their writing checker tool for their thesis writing.In this digital era, many students use online writing checkers to avoid errors in writing.Grammarly is one of the tools that is used by students.Sometimes.The students also use Premium Grammarly because it has additional services than Free Grammarly.
Secondly, some students did not understand how to use Grammarly.Some students thought that Grammarly was a complicated tool with premium features that made it harder for them to use.This difficulty was attributed to the perception among some students that Grammarly had premium features, contributing to a sense of complexity, and making it more challenging for them to effectively use the tool.However, it was important to note that there were still some students who understand how to use Grammarly in thesis writing.
Thus, there were some problems found in students' perception on using Grammarly in thesis writing.Based on the problem above, the present research aimed to identify students' perceptions on using Grammarly in writing their thesis.

RESEARCH METHOD Research Design
The design of this research was descriptive qualitative research.According to Gay & Mills (2019), qualitative approach involves gathering, examining, and explaining in-depth narrative and visual (rather than numerical) information to understand a specific subject matter.According to Bogdan & Taylor in Moleong (2017), qualitative research is a research procedure that produces descriptive data in written or spoken words from people and observable behavior.This approach is directed at the setting and the individual holistically.With the descriptive method, researchers analyzed the data collected in words, pictures, and not numbers.In this research, the data comes from interview manuscripts that was conducted with the informants.

Informant of the Research
This research was conducted at the English Education Department in the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training at State Islamic University of Sjech M. Djamil Djambek Bukittinggi, West Sumatera.The informants of this research were 7 EFL students who already conducted Grammarly Premium application in their thesis writing.With the qualitative design of the study, the researcher explored a more in-depth understanding and specific context of EFL students' perceptions on using Grammarly in thesis writing at English Education Department Students Class of 2023 in UIN Bukittinggi.

Instrument of the Research
Instrumentation is a crucial aspect of a research process.Instrument is the tool used to gather data (Gay & Mills, 2019).The data of this research was collected by conducting semi-structured interview that was adapted by (Lytvyn in Ismawati et al., 2021).A semi-structured is an exploratory interview that is generally based on a guide and that it is typically focused on the main topic that provides a general pattern (Magaldi & Berler, 2020).Thus, the interview consisted of 20 questions about EFL students' perceptions on using Grammarly in thesis writing and the documentation of students when using Grammarly.In addition, in the context of instruments, it is important to own a valid instrument.As defined by Sugiyono (2014), validity is the capability of an instrument to measure what it is intended to measure.In this research, the researcher conducted an expert judgement validation with the three lecturers to see whether the items were valid or not.The researcher asked three of the English lecturers at State Islamic University of Sjech M. Djamil Djambek of Bukittinggi.From the result of validation, the validators stated that the instrument of this research was valid in terms, concept, and contents with some revision.

Data Collection
In collecting data, the researcher applied the procedures as follow: 1.The researcher made questions for the students who were selected as the informant of this research.2. The researcher interviewed the selected students in a hybrid manner, where students who were in Bukittinggi were carried out face-to-face while students who were not in Bukittinggi were carried out through WhatsApp Video-Call.

Data Analysis
The data analysis is the process of gathering, modeling, and transforming data with useful information, suggesting conclusions, supporting decisions making (Maelong, 2001).According to LeCompte & Schensul (1999), data analysis is the process that the researcher uses to reduce the data to a story and its interpretation.It is a process in order to reduce the amount of data to make sense of them (Kawulich, 2004).The data analysis technique used in this research was an interactive model of analysis.According to Miles & Huberman (1992) in this model there are three analysis components, namely data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing.The three activities in interactive model analysis can be explained as follows: 1. Data Collection After identifying the problem, the researcher collected the data by interviewing students for information.All the recording data was collected.Then the researcher wrote the transcription of the recording from the transcription, the researcher got data.At this stage, the researcher identified EFL students' perceptions on using Grammarly in thesis writing.

Data Reduction
In this part, the researcher selects data obtained at the time of research regarding the user perception about using Grammarly in their thesis writing, and then the data classifies and chooses simply.

Data Display
At this stage, the researcher developed a structured description of information to draw conclusion and act.The presentation of data commonly used in this research is narrative text form.The purpose of narrative text is that the researcher described previously classified information about students' perception of using Grammarly in their thesis writing.Then, conclusions were presented in narrative text form.It analyzed and described the data qualitatively

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Result
The result of the research shows that students give good perceptions in terms of interest, needs, and experience.Although there are some students who show some less pleasant experiences, overall, they feel Grammarly is very helpful in writing their thesis.In collecting data, the researcher interviews each student in a hybrid setting.The hybrid setting happens because some students are outside Bukittinggi.Each interview consists of questions with three indicators: interest, needs, and experience.The interviews last approximately 17-24 minutes.The findings show that students perceive positively when using Grammarly in writing their thesis.
The data collection starts on 22nd October and continues until 27th October 2023.The researcher conducts this research on seven students who used Grammarly for their graduation thesis and graduated in September 2023.The data are in the form of interviews related to students' perceptions of using Grammarly in their thesis writing and documents of their report of Grammarly's corrections on their writing.The researcher obtains the saturated data after interviewing seven students and collecting their documents when they used Grammarly.

Interest
The interview results indicate that informants find Grammarly helpful for writing their theses.They express interest in the tool due to its ability to correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, making the writing process easier.Additionally, informants appreciate Grammarly's assistance in detecting ambiguous writing and providing valuable suggestions.Overall, participants see Grammarly as a trusted and effective tool for thesis work.
Students highlight Grammarly's role in improving writing quality, enhancing vocabulary, aiding in organization, and maintaining a consistent writing style.Some informants get the recommendations from supervisors and academic mentors, while others are motivated by a desire to avoid mistakes and elevate the overall standard of their work.Informants view Grammarly as a valuable resource for thesis writing, acknowledging its contribution to error detection, writing improvement, and adherence to academic standards.

Informant DAP's Statement of Interest on Using Grammarly
Informant Perceptions DAP Finds Grammarly features helpful and eases thesis writing.
Expresses genuine interest in using Grammarly.
Considering the explanation provided above, the researcher describes the results of the interviews conducted with the informants.Informants DAP expressed interest in utilizing Grammarly for thesis writing, finding the application's features helpful and conducive to the ease of crafting a thesis or proposal.The informant said "Maybe because after I tried a little and saw how this Grammarly feature was, I think it makes it quite ease for us to make a thesis or proposal.I found Grammarly very helpful.That why I'm interested in using it".The informant acknowledged Grammarly's assistance in correcting writing and grammar errors, leading to a genuine interest in utilizing its various features.Informants SY shared a similar statement, expressing interest in Grammarly for thesis writing due to its efficacy in detecting errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.The informant said "Because using Grammarly application makes it easier for me to detect errors in the use of writing, such as errors in the use of grammar, spelling, and the use of punctuation."The informant emphasized the application's role in improving writing clarity and providing valuable suggestions.

RY
Views Grammarly as a valuable tool for simplifying thesis writing and addressing grammar issues.
Informants RY conveyed her interest in using Grammarly for thesis work, citing its capacity to simplify the writing process and detect errors, particularly beneficial for those lacking confidence in English.The informant said "I was interested on using Grammarly because it makes me easier for me to work on my thesis, right?In working on a thesis, sometimes in typing I make a lot of mistakes, especially if I was somewhat lacking in English, so grammar problems are better using Grammarly."The informant trusted Grammarly to address grammar issues, making the thesis-writing experience more manageable.

Informant DOK Table Informant DOK's Statement of Interest on Using Grammarly Informant Perceptions
DOK Recognizes Grammarly's role in vocabulary enhancement and improved grammar.
Informants DOK expressed interest in Grammarly for thesis writing, highlighting its contribution to vocabulary enhancement and improved grammar.The informant said "Yes, because by using Grammarly it can provide a lot of vocabulary improve grammar, for example, standard vocabulary in your thesis." The informant recognized Grammarly's role in providing standard vocabulary for a thesis, indicating an awareness of the tool's benefits in academic writing.Informants AAR's interest in Grammarly was driven by the recommendation of the supervisor and other faculty members.The informant said "I was interested in using Grammarly because of the direction of my supervisor and heard from other supervisors who also directed their students to use Grammarly so that their thesis would be better during the thesis exam."The informant believed that using Grammarly would enhance the quality of the thesis, aligning with the advice received from academic mentors.

Informant ME
7. Informant DV Informants DV's interest in using Grammarly for thesis writing was influenced by the guidance of lecturers and supervisors in the PBI field.The informant said "Maybe because the reason is in accordance with the direction of lecturers in PBI including the supervisor who directs to use Grammarly because it is more accurate."The informant emphasized the tool's accuracy and its role in ensuring contextual appropriateness and coherence in writing, aligning with academic expectations.
The interview results reveal a unanimous agreement among informants regarding their positive perceive of Grammarly on thesis writing.Informants express a keen interest in utilizing Grammarly, primarily attributing its appeal to its ability to correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.They find the application instrumental in simplifying the writing process and improving overall writing quality.The informants highlight Grammarly's role in detecting ambiguous writing and providing valuable suggestions, acknowledging its contribution to vocabulary enhancement, organizational clarity, and maintaining a consistent writing style.
Furthermore, the informants emphasize the tool's efficacy in addressing common challenges, such as grammar issues and the fear of making mistakes, particularly for those lacking confidence in English proficiency.Some participants are motivated to use Grammarly based on recommendations from academic mentors, supervisors, and faculty members, underlining its perceived significance in elevating the standard of their thesis work.Additionally, students highlight Grammarly's accuracy and its role in ensuring contextual appropriateness and coherence in writing, aligning with academic expectations.The informants collectively view Grammarly as a valuable and trusted resource for thesis writing, recognizing its multifaceted contributions to error detection, writing improvement, and adherence to academic standards.

Needs
The interview results indicate that informants find Grammarly helpful for writing their theses.The informants express various needs for Grammarly in writing their theses.They use Grammarly to fix errors and make their sentences more formal and academic.The informant mentions the necessity of Grammarly for correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors in their writing.They also aim to enhance word choice, sentence structure, and overall writing quality.
1) Informant DAP Based on the explanation above, the researcher describes the results of the interviews conducted with the informants.. Informants DAP emphasizes the necessity of Grammarly to address deficiencies in spelling and grammar, as well as to assist in choosing appropriate sentences and vocabulary.The informant said below "Well, my main goal actually was to improve spelling and grammar which was quite lacking.Since I realized that my grammar was quite messy so I used Grammarly for help to fix it and also help me to make the sentence I used more formal and academic."The informants need Grammarly and its features to improve spelling and grammar which was quite lacking.Apart from that, informants need Grammarly to choose the right sentence or more suitable vocabulary.

SY
Uses Grammarly to correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, aiming to enhance writing quality.
Informants SY underscores the importance of Grammarly for correcting a range of writing errors, including grammar, spelling, and punctuation, while also aiming to enhance sentence structure and introduce word variations.The informant said "To correct errors in writing such as grammar, spelling, and puncutation errors."The informant sought improvement in sentence 3) Informant RY Table 10.

RY
Grammarly is user-friendly Informants RY highlighted the user-friendly nature of Grammarly, emphasizing its ease of use.They noted that the correction options suggested by Grammarly could be implemented with a simple click, resulting in a faster and more efficient thesis-writing process.This underscores the significance of a user-friendly interface and the tool's effectiveness in addressing grammar and spelling errors.The informants said "When I did my thesis, I used Grammarly to make it easier to work on it.Because Grammarly detected automatically, and it can make us faster in doing it."An important feature mentioned by RY was Grammarly's automatic error detection capability.According to RY, this functionality allows writers to concentrate on the content itself without the need for manual searching and correction of grammar mistakes.This automatic detection feature is seen as a valuable asset in enhancing the overall quality of the written work.

DOK
Values Grammarly as a multifaceted writing aid for correctness, clarity, and engagement.
Informants DOK recognizes Grammarly as a valuable tool that goes beyond basic correctness, serving as a multifaceted writing aid to enhance the quality, clarity, and engagement of their academic work.The informant said "Using correctness in Grammarly is to correct grammar, spelling and punctuation errors in my thesis."She uses it not only for basic correctness but also for improving the clarity and engagement of their academic work.Grammarly serves as a multifaceted writing aid that supports them in producing a more polished and impactful thesis.12.

Informant ME's Statement of Needs on Using Grammarly Informant
Positive Perceptions

ME
Sees correctness as a primary need, acknowledges manual intervention for desired writing quality.
ME values correctness and sees Grammarly as a useful tool to improve the quality of their thesis.She acknowledges the need for a systematic editing process and may intervene manually to achieve the desired writing quality.The informant said "The first need is correctness."The informant acknowledges that, despite Grammarly being used in a systematic editing process, it may not address all issues, requiring some manual intervention to achieve the desired level of quality in their writing.So, she still needs to check it manually after checking it in Grammarly.

6) Informant AAR Table 13. Informant AAR's Statement of Needs on Using Grammarly Informant
Positive Perceptions AAR Stresses Grammarly's role in maintaining organization, formality, and academic style in the thesis.
AAR emphasizes the importance of Grammarly in maintaining organization, formality, and academic style in their thesis, viewing it as a means to reduce the likelihood of negative feedback from examiners.The informant said "Yes, to be more organized and the sentences are not informal but formal.Formal means...More like scientific or academic".He sees it to enhance the writing's quality and to reduce the likelihood of negative feedback or criticism from their examiners.

7) Informant DV Table 14. Informant DV's Statement of Needs on Using Grammarly Informant
Positive Perceptions

DV
Relies on Grammarly to assess accuracy and errors in vocabulary use within the thesis.
DV relies on Grammarly to assess the accuracy and errors in vocabulary use within their thesis.The informant said "To see the accuracy and errors in the use of vocabulary in the thesis."She uses Grammarly as a writing assistant to The interviews with informants reveal a consistent theme regarding the perceived value of Grammarly in the context of thesis writing.Across different students, the common need emerges for Grammarly to address deficiencies in spelling and grammar, ultimately aiming to elevate the overall quality of their academic work.The informants express a desire for correctness in their writing, encompassing aspects such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.Additionally, there is a shared recognition of Grammarly's role in refining sentence structures, ensuring formality, and enhancing the use of vocabulary, especially in the academic and scientific context.The tool is seen as a valuable asset in organizing content, minimizing informality, and contributing to the clarity and engagement of the thesis.Overall, Grammarly is perceived as a multifaceted writing aid that not only corrects errors but also plays a crucial role in improving the effectiveness and impact of the thesis.

Experience
The interview results indicate that the informants have diverse experiences in using Grammarly for thesis writing.The majority of informants report that Grammarly has a positive impact on improving sentence clarity and grammar, as well as helping to identify and correct errors.They feel a significant difference after using Grammarly, with an improvement in the quality of grammar and writing.

DAP
Positive impact on sentence clarity and grammar; occasional challenge in choosing correct sentences.
Based on the explanation above, the researcher describes the results of the interviews conducted with the informants.Informant DAP highlighted the positive impact, stating that after using Grammarly, his sentences became neater, and his grammar improved significantly.Despite these benefits, the informant faced challenges when Grammarly provided choices for sentences, leading to confusion in determining the correct one.The informant said "After I used Grammarly, I really felt the difference, my sentences became neater, and my grammar became better.So the results of Grammarly are very helpful."The informants gained experiences when using Grammarly, that he really felt the difference, my sentences became neater, and my grammar became better.However, the challenge is when Grammarly provides a choice of sentences and informants feel confused about determining the correct sentence.

Informant SY's Statement of Experience on Using Grammarly Informant
Positive Perceptions

SY
Highlights the importance of thorough checking due to occasional discrepancies with thesis requirements.Informant SY emphasized the need for thorough checking, noting discrepancies between Grammarly's suggestions and the specific grammatical requirements of their thesis chapters.The informant mentioned the importance of rechecking details such as grammar, punctuation, and spelling due to occasional errors or mistakes detected by Grammarly.The informant said "Just like the use of grammar in Chapter 3, we should use past tense, while in Grammarly it suggests simple present tense.So, we have to re-check, wehther the use of grammar is correct or the use of punctuation is correct, or the spelling also.So we have to re-check the details again".Informants SY gained experiences such as the result of grammar, spelling, and writing sometimes also has errors or mistakes so that they must be double-checked.Apart from that, he feels that the internet network when using Grammarly must be good because it affects Grammarly's performance.

RY
Values Grammarly but occasionally replaces suggested words to ensure coherence.
Informant RY found Grammarly valuable for thesis writing but admitted to occasionally replacing suggested words with ones they deemed more appropriate.This highlights the balance between automated assistance and personal judgment to ensure coherence and context appropriateness in writing.The informant said "Sometimes there is a feeling that it doesn't fit right so I replace it with words that I think are more appropriate than the words in Grammarly."Informant RY gained experiences such as the informants finds Grammarly to be a valuable aid in their thesis writing, though they do occasionally encounter suggestions that don't quite match their preferences or the context.However, she believe that the majority of the suggestions are helpful in improving their writing quality.This feedback underscores the notion that while automated writing assistance tools like Grammarly can be highly beneficial, a degree of manual review and personal judgment is often necessary to ensure that the writing remains coherent and context-appropriate.
4) Informant DOK Table 18.Informant DOK's Statement of Experience on Using Grammarly Informant Perceptions DOK Acknowledges Grammarly's usefulness but notes occasional misalignments with lecturer's recommendations.
Informant DOK acknowledged Grammarly's usefulness in improving various aspects of their thesis writing but pointed out limitations.She noted instances where Grammarly suggested words different from the lecturer's recommendations, emphasizing the importance of using the tool alongside instructor feedback for optimal results.The informants said "For example, sometimes from the lecturer's suggestions, sometimes the words are told to be this, but in Grammarly the words are also different."Informants DOK gained experiences because Grammarly can be a helpful tool for improving various aspects of writing in a thesis.However, despite occasional misinterpretations of context and suggestions that may not align with instructors' expectations, students can achieve the best results by using Grammarly in conjunction with their lecturer's feedback and critical judgment to ensure their thesis meets specific academic institution requirements and standards.

ME
Mixed experiences; Grammarly enhances confidence but may not always align with academic requirements.
Informant ME shared the dual nature of their experience with Grammarly for thesis writing, citing both benefits and challenges.While Grammarly enhanced their confidence and proficiency by identifying and correcting errors, challenges arose in aligning the tool's suggestions with specific academic writing requirements, especially regarding tenses.The informant said "Challenge yes earlier.Thinking is hard to adjust it.Moreover, there he said I had checked the correctness even thought it was already 92%, it turned out to be wrong.Yes, the score when brought to the supervisor was wrong.That's what I said earlier in 56 the thesis we need past tense in the proposal we need present, well the app doesn't understand that".
Informants ME gained experiences because the use of Grammarly for thesis writing can be both beneficial and challenging.While it can help with grammar and correctness, it may not always align with the specific requirements and preferences of academic writing, especially in areas like tenses.Users should exercise caution and manual review when using Grammarly for academic work, especially when working with a supervisor, to ensure that the tool's suggestions align with the specific requirements of the thesis.

AAR
Mixed experiences; Grammarly enhances confidence but may not always align with academic requirements.
Informant AAR described the validation and verification role of Grammarly in their thesis writing.He mentioned crosschecking and ensuring correctness in both Grammarly and Quillbot, underscoring the tool's contribution to their confidence and proficiency in writing.The informant said "Because I already crosschecked or made sure I was surer.Because it was already correct here in Quill Bot, in Grammarly it was also correct, so I was sure that it was correct".Informant AAR gained experiences because using Grammarly has enhanced the interviewee's confidence and proficiency in thesis writing by helping them identify and correct errors, providing a systematic approach to improving their writing, and by serving as a reliable tool for validation and verification.

7) Informant DV Table 211. Informant DV's Statement of Experience on Using Grammarly Informant Perceptions
DV Positive impact on thesis quality but requires manual adjustments to align with examiner's preferences.
Informant DV shared an experience where Grammarly suggested a different tense for a thesis chapter, conflicting with the examiner's preference.This scenario reflected the common challenge of aligning Grammarly's suggestions with specific academic or professional requirements, emphasizing the need for manual adjustments in such contexts.The informant said "There was an example at that time, entering chapter 4 in Grammarly was made into present tense while according to one of the examiners, uh, that means when entered Grammarly it was made into past tense while according to one of the examiners it was made into present tense." Informant DV gained experiences because the informants found Grammarly to be a useful tool for improving the quality of their thesis by identifying and correcting various types of errors, including grammatical issues.However, the informant also had to ensure that Grammarly's suggestions aligned with the specific requirements and preferences of her thesis examiner or reviewer.The interview reflects a common scenario where writing assistance tools like Grammarly are valuable for writers but may require some manual adjustments to meet the specific needs of academic or professional contexts.
The interviews with 7 informants highlight the experiences gained while using Grammarly for thesis writing.The results among the interviewees is that Grammarly significantly contributes to improving the quality of their writing.Students commonly express that after incorporating Grammarly into their writing process, they notice a difference in the neatness of their sentences and an overall improvement in grammar.The tool is seen as valuable for enhancing correctness, spelling, and providing helpful suggestions.
However, challenges arise when Grammarly offers multiple choices for sentences, leading to confusion among informants in determining the most appropriate option.Some interviewees note discrepancies between Grammarly's suggestions and specific academic requirements, such as the use of past or present tense in different sections of the thesis.Despite occasional mismatches, the general sentiment is that Grammarly serves as a beneficial aid in thesis writing, aiding in error identification and correction.
The interviews emphasize the need for caution and manual review, especially when the tool's suggestions do not align with academic guidelines or instructor feedback.While Grammarly boosts confidence and proficiency by helping writers identify and correct errors, it may not always fully grasp the context-specific requirements of academic writing.Thus, informants find Grammarly to be a valuable writing tool, but a balanced approach involving manual review and consideration of academic standards is essential to ensure the best results in thesis writing.

Discussion
Based on the result of the data analysis, the research aimed to find out the research question in this research about "how do students perceive on using Grammarly in thesis writing."The researcher found that students perceive positively using Grammarly in writing their theses.7 students show a high interest in using Grammarly in their thesis writing process.Students felt that Grammarly provided convenience in checking grammar errors in their writing.
This aligns with the findings of a study conducted by Setyani et al. ( 2023), which stated that Grammarly, in the context of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), is a highly beneficial website and online application for correcting writing errors, especially in thesis writing.In addition to the convenience Grammarly offers, there are other reasons that make informants interested in using Grammarly.One of them is the recommendation from lecturers or friends who recommend using Grammarly.Recommendations from more experienced individuals in the academic field sparked curiosity among informants, and they felt that using Grammarly could help simplify their thesis writing process.Therefore, it can be concluded that informants have a positive interest in using Grammarly in their thesis writing.
Further data analysis revealed that students felt that Grammarly is an essential tool when working on their thesis.They use it to validate every word and grammar in their sentences.They believe that Grammarly is one of the most accurate and reliable grammar checkers when it comes to sentence structure and grammar error correction.These findings align with a study conducted by Cavaleri and Dianati (2016), which stated that Grammarly is considered the most accurate English grammar checking tool in the world.Additionally, informants feel that Grammarly is very useful because English is not their first language.In this regard, they need third-party assistance to help them with writing their theses in English.These findings also align with research conducted by Fitria (2021), stating that students often rely on grammar checking applications like Grammarly to help them overcome difficulties in English writing.
The data analysis results also showed that informants have varied experiences with Grammarly.Out of seven informants, four of them found Grammarly to be helpful and reported that their grammar skills improved after using it.These findings are consistent with the study by Cavaleri and Dianati (2016), which noted that Grammarly can also boost students' confidence in writing and their understanding of grammar concepts.However, three other informants reported less satisfactory experiences with Grammarly.They complained that Grammarly sometimes misunderstood the context of their writing and provided corrections that were not suitable.For example, one informant (DOK) had issues when Grammarly provided corrections that did not align with the writer's intent.This issue appears to be related to an unstable internet connection, which led to errors in Grammarly's operation.Grammarly requires a stable internet connection to provide more accurate corrections.These findings also align with research conducted by Santosa et al. (2023), stating that Grammarly is very user-friendly as long as there is a stable internet connection.
The analysis of the interview results reveals that EFL students perceive Grammarly as a valuable asset in the process of thesis writing.The findings demonstrate a unanimous interest among the informants, denoted by their acknowledgment of Grammarly's helpful features.The participants express a keen interest in the tool due to its ability to correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, ultimately simplifying the writing process.Additionally, informants appreciate Grammarly's role in detecting ambiguous writing and providing valuable suggestions, contributing to improvements in writing quality, enhanced vocabulary, organizational clarity, and the maintenance of a consistent writing style.
EFL students perceive Grammarly as a valuable and trusted resource in thesis writing.Their positive experiences underscore the tool's effectiveness in addressing specific writing needs and enhancing overall writing quality.However, a balanced approach, incorporating manual review and consideration of academic standards, is emphasized to ensure optimal results in thesis writing.
Overall, the data analysis results indicate that Grammarly is a highly beneficial tool for students in the thesis writing process, especially for those whose first language is not English.Although there are some challenges related to context understanding and internet connection, informants still consider Grammarly a very useful tool for improving their grammar skills and facilitating their academic writing process.

CONCLUSION
Based on the findings, it can be concluded that students perceive positively the use of Grammarly in thesis writing.The analysis of students' perceptions on using Grammarly in thesis writing reveals a widespread positive perception among informants.The findings consistently demonstrate that Grammarly is considered a valuable application in the thesis writing process.Students perceive Grammarly primarily driven by the tool's convenience in checking grammar errors, recommendations from experienced individuals, and its role in overcoming challenges in English writing.
The results show that Grammarly is not only widely used but also deemed essential by the informants.They rely on Grammarly to enhance the accuracy and reliability of their writing, particularly in the context of English as a Foreign Language.Students perceive Grammarly as a valuable and trusted resource in the realm of thesis writing.The positive experiences shared by the participants underscore the tool's effectiveness in addressing specific writing needs and enhancing overall writing quality.However, it is emphasized that a balanced approach, incorporating manual review and consideration of academic standards, is crucial for optimal results in thesis writing.Overall, Grammarly is portrayed as a highly beneficial tool for EFL students, addressing their unique needs and contributing significantly to their academic writing process.
researcher collected data from interviews. 4. The researcher analyzed the data.5.The researcher gave conclusion of the result from the data.
choice, and the overall use of phrases to enhance the quality of their academic work.
of maintaining high writing standards, particularly in academic work like a thesis.

Table 5 . Informant ME's Statement of Interest on Using Grammarly Informant Perceptions
concern about grammar and fear of making mistakes.The informant said "The reason I use Grammarly is because first, my grammar is problematic.I mean, it's not problematic because I don't understand it too well.But it's not impossible for me to do poorly in my thesis.Because I also lack confidence in grammar is fear of being wrong.Especially I really wanted to reach the time."Theinformant acknowledged the tool's ability to identify errors and appreciated its word suggestion feature while maintaining a formal tone in writing.6.
MEAcknowledges Grammarly's role in addressing grammar concerns and boosting confidence.Informants ME's interest in Grammarly for her thesis was rooted in her

Table 8 . Informant DAP's Statement of Needs on Using Grammarly Informant Perceptions DAP
Emphasizes the need for Grammarly to improve spelling, grammar, and sentence formality.