E-journaling and Writer’s Workshop as Writing Scaffolding Techniques in Saudi EFL Classes

Abstract

Writing in a second or a foreign language has been studied by many researchers using quantitative and qualitative measures over the past decades. Research has shown that writing is a challenging skill for students at both school and university levels. Concerning the latter, first-year undergraduates are reportedly faced with a considerable mismatch between high school L2 writing skills and the greater proficiency level required for potential course of university study. Phase two of a larger project (Mohammed et al., 2020) which has focused on writing apprehension, this experimental case study investigates the impact of e-journaling and writer’s workshop techniques on enhancing learners’ writing in a second language (L2). Carried out at an English as a foreign language (EFL) university classroom context in Saudi Arabia, this study contributes quantitative evidence indicating effective impact of the techniques of e-journaling and writer’s workshop on enhancing L2 writing skills. This research signifies a resourceful input into EFL teaching and learning through investigating the findings associated with integrating these two techniques. Instruments featured a treatment course of study and a writing competence test of L2 writing skills. The randomised control-group post-test model was applied within the experiment. Participants (n= 50) were randomly consigned to a treatment group taught using the treatment-programme and a control group (n= 50) taught habitually. Ultimately, the two groups were post-tested using a writing skill competence test (WSCT). Statistical data revealed significant difference across the test scores of the two participant groups in support of the treatment trial. Writing competence scores raised by 38.63% (t = 6.210, p < 0.01) and the effect size of the difference was significantly large in the calculated difference of Cohen’s d (d = 1.242). Overall, the findings suggest that in general that e-journaling combined with the writer’s workshop techniques have major influence on improving learners’ L2 writing competence. It was also shown that participants have welcomed the use of the aforementioned techniques. The empirical findings in this study provide a new understanding of enhancing learners’ L2 skills at a university-level EFL classroom context. Taken together, these results also provide an actionable catalyst for researchers and educators at the study context.