Writing is a cornerstone of academic success, yet English language learners (ELL) in the United States must learn to write while also developing English proficiency. Although descriptive reviews suggest that writing instruction can benefit these learners, no prior meta-analysis has synthesized its effects quantitatively. This study addressed that gap by synthesizing 39 comparisons in 20 experimental and quasi-experimental investigations of writing interventions in K-12 classrooms with ELL students in the United States. From 122 effect sizes, the overall impact of writing instruction was statistically significant and positive (g = 0.33). Writing quality was the most frequently assessed outcome (in 33 comparisons across 16 studies) and showed an effect of 0.33. With regard to the most often implemented interventions, strategy instruction (g = 0.36) was statistically significant, while process writing (g = 0.51) yielded a meaningful but not statistically significant result. Moderator analyses found no significant variation by study quality indicators, participant characteristics, or intervention characteristics. Findings underscore the promise of writing interventions for English language learners in the United States and suggest directions for future research, including the importance of examining linguistic supports.
English writing proficiency is a crucial skill in academic and professional contexts, yet learners from non-English-speaking backgrounds often face significant challenges in mastering it. For Tamil learners in India, the influence of the mother tongue (L1) plays a vital role in shaping English (L2) writing skills. This study investigates the impact of Mother Tongue Instruction (MTI) as a pedagogical strategy to enhance English writing competence among secondary-level Tamil learners. Employing a mixed-methods approach, 60 students from two government-aided schools in Tamil Nadu were divided into an experimental group (receiving MTI-integrated English writing lessons) and a control group (receiving English-only instruction). Data were collected through pre- and post-tests, error analysis, and semi-structured interviews with both learners and teachers. Statistical analysis using paired-sample t-tests revealed that the MTI group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in writing organization, grammatical accuracy, and vocabulary richness (p < 0.05). Qualitative findings indicated that learners perceived MTI as reducing anxiety, clarifying conceptual understanding, and enabling effective idea generation. The study concludes that strategic use of the mother tongue can facilitate cognitive transfer, scaffold complex writing tasks, and promote bilingual competence without impeding English fluency. The paper recommends integrating MTI in bilingual education policies, particularly for regions with strong linguistic identities such as Tamil Nadu.
Keywords:
Mother Tongue Instruction (MTI), English Writing Skills, Tamil Learners, Bilingual Education, Second Language Acquisition, Error Analysis, Language Pedagogy
Dr. P. Jeyasankar, S. Rajasekar· International Journal of Cre...· 0 citations
Across 45 studies contributing 56 effect sizes in 18 countries, differentiated instruction helps diverse English learners, on average. But the same lesson can transform one classroom and barely move the next. This systematic review and meta-analysis looks past that average to ask how much the benefit of differentiated instruction depends on where, how, and with whom it is used. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched six databases, identified additional studies through citation tracking and expert advice, and analyzed 56 effect sizes from controlled studies conducted between 2011 and 2024 and involving 16,773 learners. For each study, we calculated a standardized effect size (Hedges’
g
) from group means and standard deviations, and combined the estimates using a random-effects model in Jamovi. Differentiated instruction produced a medium-to-large average improvement in cognitive academic language outcomes [Hedges’
g
= 0.78, 95% CI (0.557, 1.003)]. This pooled mean, however, masked substantial between-study heterogeneity (
I
² = 97.75%): true effects varied so widely that the 95% prediction interval (−0.84 to 2.40) included the possibility of no benefit, indicating that the effect is conditional rather than uniform. This pooled mean should therefore not be read as a reliable expected effect for any new classroom, nor used on its own as a policy benchmark; the conditional pattern of effects, not the single average, is the primary result. Three conditions were each associated with a three- to fourfold difference in the effect: when the study was conducted, whether English was taught as a foreign or a second language, and the learners’ educational level. A close look at the 13 exemplar studies with very high effects (
g
≥ 1.20) revealed eight shared practices, which we organize into a simple, usable evidence-derived framework (SAM-DI). The key point is not that differentiation works or fails, but that its benefits are conditional: strong where it is used strategically and for the learners who need it most, and weak or absent elsewhere. Interpreted cautiously about the direction of causation, reading past the average gives teachers and policymakers a clearer, fairer guide to where differentiation is worth the effort for diverse English learners.
Mary Anne Caliwan Sedanza, Junifer Abatayo· Frontiers in Education· 0 citations
Mixed-ability EFL classrooms present a persistent instructional challenge, as heterogeneous writing proficiency levels among students are rarely addressed effectively through a one-size-fits-all approach. Empirical studies that specifically investigate the effect of Differentiated Instruction (DI) on EFL writing achievement across different proficiency levels remain limited, leaving a gap in writing pedagogy within junior high school contexts. This study aimed to examine the effect of process-based DI on the writing achievement of eighth-grade EFL students at SMP Islam Sultan Agung. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was employed involving 50 students, consisting of an experimental group (n = 25) receiving process-differentiated instruction and a control group (n = 25) receiving conventional instruction. The intervention was conducted over three sessions focusing on recount text writing. Writing performance was assessed using the ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) guidelines, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk normality test, Levene’s homogeneity test, and an independent-samples t-test. The findings revealed that both groups had comparable initial writing ability before the intervention. Following the treatment, the experimental group demonstrated higher writing achievement than the control group. These results indicate that process-based DI effectively enhances EFL students’ writing performance by accommodating diverse levels of learner readiness. However, the relatively small sample size and short intervention period limit the generalizability of the findings. Therefore, DI is recommended as an alternative instructional strategy for heterogeneous EFL classrooms, and further research is needed to explore its long-term impact across broader educational contexts.
ABSTRAK
Kelas EFL dengan kemampuan campuran menghadirkan tantangan instruksional yang terus-menerus, karena tingkat kemahiran menulis yang heterogen di antara siswa jarang dapat ditangani secara efektif melalui pendekatan satu ukuran untuk semua. Studi empiris yang secara khusus meneliti pengaruh Instruksi Diferensiasi (Differentiated Instruction / DI) terhadap pencapaian menulis EFL pada berbagai tingkat kemahiran masih terbatas, sehingga menyisakan kesenjangan dalam pedagogi menulis pada konteks sekolah menengah pertama. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji pengaruh DI berbasis proses terhadap pencapaian menulis siswa EFL kelas VIII di SMP Islam Sultan Agung. Penelitian menggunakan desain kuasi-eksperimental nonequivalent control group yang melibatkan 50 siswa, terdiri atas kelompok eksperimen (n = 25) yang memperoleh pembelajaran terdiferensiasi berbasis proses dan kelompok kontrol (n = 25) yang memperoleh pembelajaran konvensional. Intervensi dilaksanakan selama tiga sesi pembelajaran menulis teks recount. Kemampuan menulis diukur menggunakan pedoman ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT), sedangkan data dianalisis melalui statistik deskriptif, uji normalitas Shapiro–Wilk, uji homogenitas Levene, dan independent-samples t-test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kedua kelompok memiliki kemampuan awal yang relatif setara sebelum perlakuan diberikan. Setelah intervensi, kelompok eksperimen menunjukkan pencapaian menulis yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan kelompok kontrol. Temuan ini mengindikasikan bahwa DI berbasis proses efektif dalam meningkatkan kemampuan menulis siswa EFL dengan mengakomodasi tingkat kesiapan belajar yang beragam. Meskipun demikian, keterbatasan jumlah sampel dan durasi intervensi yang relatif singkat membatasi generalisasi hasil penelitian. Oleh karena itu, DI direkomendasikan sebagai alternatif strategi pembelajaran untuk kelas EFL yang heterogen, dan penelitian lanjutan diperlukan untuk mengeksplorasi dampaknya dalam jangka panjang pada konteks yang lebih luas.
Sabilla Amelia Putri, W. I. Asyhar, Kristanti Yuntoro Putri· EDUCATOR Jurnal Inovasi Tena...· 0 citations
English writing proficiency among EFL learners in Indonesia remains below regional benchmarks, and despite growing interest in learner-centered pedagogies, there is limited synthesis comparing the effects of inquiry-based learning (IBL) and contextual teaching and learning (CTL), particularly regarding their combined impact. This study addresses this gap through a PRISMA-guided systematic literature review of empirical studies published between 2015 and 2025. Searches were conducted across major databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Taylor & Francis, yielding 35 eligible studies for analysis. A narrative synthesis complemented by a quantitative summary of comparable studies indicates that both IBL and CTL produce significant positive effects on students’ English writing performance, with a pooled effect size of approximately d ≈ 0.81 (95% CI [0.65, 0.97]), suggesting a moderate-to-large overall impact. IBL consistently enhances cognitive dimensions of writing, such as idea generation, organization, and critical thinking, whereas CTL demonstrates strong effects on engagement, contextual understanding, and learner motivation. However, direct comparative and hybrid studies remain limited, although preliminary evidence suggests additive benefits when both approaches are integrated. These findings imply that EFL teachers and curriculum designers should consider combining inquiry cycles with context-based writing tasks to simultaneously develop cognitive and affective dimensions of writing. Future research should prioritize rigorous comparative and longitudinal designs to validate the effectiveness of integrated IBL–CTL models across diverse EFL contexts.
Sapto Sugiharto, Merry Lapasau, W. Widodo et al.· Journal of Languages and Lan...· 0 citations
Writing in English as a foreign language remains a persistent challenge for learners in many instructional contexts where classroom practices are often individual and product-oriented. Although collaborative writing instruction (CWI) has received increasing attention, evidence regarding its association with writing motivation and creativity-related writing performance in underrepresented contexts remains limited. This study compared CWI and individual writing instruction (IWI) among first-year EFL students. An exploratory classroom comparison with an embedded mixed-methods design was conducted using two intact classes (N = 104) over 12 weeks. Data were collected through paragraph writing tests, a writing motivation questionnaire, and post-intervention student reflections. Quantitative data were analyzed using pretest-adjusted regression models equivalent to ANCOVA, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically to contextualize the quantitative data. The findings indicated that students in the CWI class reported higher posttest writing motivation after controlling for baseline differences. However, no statistically significant adjusted difference was observed in creativity-related writing performance. Student reflections showed perceptions of increased engagement, confidence, and idea sharing, alongside reported challenges related to unequal participation and time constraints. Overall, the findings suggest that CWI may be more strongly associated with writing motivation than with creativity-related writing performance in this context.
Melisew Amare, M. Tariku, Solomon Yilma· Teaching English as a Second...· 0 citations
Writing is the most important skills and holds a significant place in teaching English as a foreign language. Teaching English is not simply about teaching writing skills, but rather about developing a new language. Given the educational indicators suggesting a weakness in writing skills among English language learners, the current study aims to investigate "the effect of peer reviewing technique in writing skills". To achieve the goal of this research, the following hypothesis was proposed: "There are no statistically significant differences between all participating students in the pre- and post-tests of the experimental and control groups in writing skill.
To verify the initial hypothesis, the current research followed pre and posttest. The group of (72) was tested by pretest. Students selected from the evening studies in the English Department at the College of Basic Education. The face validity of the test was confirmed by presenting it to a group of language teaching specialists in methods of teaching and linguistics.
Bilal Ali Burhan· Journal of the College of B...· 0 citations
