The Effect of Teacher Support on Saudi EFL Learners’ Writing Quality: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of structured multidimensional teacher support on the writing quality of Saudi English as a foreign language learners and explores how they perceive the support provided during L2 writing instruction. The study provides empirical evidence on the role of structured multidimensional teacher support in improving EFL learners’ writing quality, a topic that has received limited attention in intervention-based research. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was employed with 81 Saudi female undergraduate students enrolled in an academic writing course. Students in the experimental group received structured multidimensional teacher support, whereas those in the control group followed regular writing instruction. Writing quality was assessed using an analytic writing rubric, and learners’ perceptions were measured through a questionnaire. The findings revealed significant improvements in the experimental group’s overall writing quality as well as in content, organization, vocabulary, and language use. However, after controlling for pretest differences, organization was the only component for which the experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant advantage over the control group. Participants also reported highly positive perceptions of teacher support, particularly informational and appraisal support. The findings highlight the potential value of structured teacher support in second language writing instruction. The study recommends incorporating structured multidimensional teacher support into L2 writing contexts and encourages future research to include different learner populations, proficiency levels, writing genres, and longer intervention periods.