Boosting EFL Students’ Positive Attitudes toward Writing in English: The Role of Journal Writing with Peer Feedback

Abstract

Since students’ English writing ability improvement is influenced by their positive attitudes toward writing in English and vice versa (Petric, 2002), this paper pedagogically raises teachers’ awareness of the utility of journal writing, with peer feedback, to create EFL writing classes where students’ English writing ability development and their positive attitudes toward writing in English meet. The data was collected from the responses of 42 Mathayomsuksa 3 students at a secondary school in Thailand to the pre- and post- treatment attitude questionnaires.

The findings indicated that the students had positive attitudes toward writing in English both before and after the treatment with a significant increase following the treatment. Their positive attitudes toward four aspects of writing in English were significantly boosted after the treatment: writing as a means of self-expression, the importance of learning to write in learning English, self-perceived writing ability, and self-satisfaction with English writing.