- Aug 16, 2021
- Posted by: admin
- Category: Abstract of 3rd-icmetl
Proceedings of The 3rd International Conference on Modern Research in Education, Teaching and Learning
Year: 2021
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33422/3rd.icmetl/.2021.08.91
Integrating Sociocultural theory constructs: Social interaction, Scaffolding and mediation via genre-process approach with interactive technology via online blogging to develop writing skills of Saudi EFL learners
Sultan Samah A Alenezi
ABSTRACT:
Many EFL instructors and learners are dreaming of coming up with the best and most effective approach to teach and learn EFL writing that has always been one of the most difficult issues in EFL writing teaching and learning among EFL learners in Saudi Arabia. With the unprecedented developments in technology that the world witnessing, particularly with the beginning of coronavirus, online blogging as an interactive technology viewed as a technology to have the potential to engage the student in social interactions in EFL writing teaching and learning which in turn can enhance and peer collaboration and scaffolding for the development of student’s writings from the perspective of sociocultural theory based on Vygotsky’s ideas that emphasize social interaction and collaboration considered as key concepts for an effective learning process. In Saudi Arabia, the students are taught writing in traditional methods fully dominated by the teacher where they are spoon-fed in a passive method that lacks any form of interaction. So, this study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of online blogging in EFL writing instruction with adopting progressive/developmental tasks through integrating genre-process approach newly coined by Badger and White contrasted to product approach that is widely used by Saudi teacher. This study adopted a mixed research methods design to integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches to identify the experience of Saudi students with online blogging in terms of their perceptions towards this new method in writing teaching, their advantages in addition to the challenges they faced while doing their blogging activities. The findings discovered after three months of intervention that online blogging with genre-process approach that the Saudi students formed extremely positive attitudes toward this experience. Additionally, the online blogging enhanced sociocultural theory constructs such as scaffolding in the form of peer and teacher feedback, collaboration and social interaction that positively reflected their developing their writing, reading, social and thinking skills.
Keywords: blogging, sociocultural theory, Saudi EFL learners, writing skills, scaffolding, social interaction.