the effects of blogging on writing motivation · the effects of blogging on writing motivation...

THE EFFECTS OF BLOGGING ON

WRITING MOTIVATION

Zeynep Gönenç Afyon

Yeşim Nalkesen

Donald Staub

Işık University

Istanbul, Turkey

INTRODUCTION

● The Researchers

o Zeynep Gönenç Afyon

o Yeşim Nalkesen

o Donald Staub

● Işik University

o Şile & Maslak (Istanbul)

o Private foundation university

o English-medium

o ~3,500 students (3,000 UG / 500 G)

● EFL Program

o Track 1-4 + Freshman

o ~600 students

THE STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

● Demotivated students in writing classes;

● Students not perceiving the tasks as relevant

to their interests;

● Not enough feedback opportunities;

● A lack of positive emotional environment,

where ideas and feelings can be expressed

safely

● Students as digital natives

Research Question:

In what way does the use of blogs in

the EFL writing classroom increase

student motivation toward writing?

Background

● Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic motivation (Bruning & Horn,

2000; Dörnyei, 2003) in the writing classroom.

● Blogs for their "authentic, interesting and

communicative nature" (Pinkman, 2005)

● It is this "autonomy and empowerment" that

serve as "key elements in fostering learners'

confidence and desire to write" (Trajtemberg &

Yiakoumetti, 2011)

Blogs for Blogging

vs.

blogger edublogs

● free (sort of)

● wordpress platform

● relatively user-friendly

● useful admin feature

● free and easy to create a blog

● availablein many languages

● not very user friendly

● not many features/ themes

METHODOLOGY

Setting

The present study was conducted in the English as

a Foreign Language (EFL) preparatory program at

a private, English-medium university in Istanbul,

Turkey during the second term in 2012.

Participants

● Seventeen (17) students

● Studying in the EFL preparatory

program

● Age range: 18 - 22

● Language level: “intermediate”

Research Paradigm

● Triangulation

● Quantitative:

o pre and post questionnaires

o list of writing items

● Qualitative:

oa.k.a. Phenomenological: attempting to describe the

"lived experiences of several individuals about a

concept or phenomenon" (Creswell, 1989)

oMore accurate results

oPerhaps leading to Grounded Theory

oOr somewhere in between.

Data Collection Instruments and

Analysis for the Research Question

Research Question Instruments Data Analysis

In what way does the use of

blogs in the EFL writing

classroom increase student

motivation toward writing?

Pre and Post Focus

Group Interviews

Pre and Post

Motivation

Questionnaires

Instructor feedback on

student blogs

Student writing on

blogs

Pattern Coding

Wilcoxon Signed

Ranks Test –

nonparametric-

Pattern Coding

Pattern Coding

PROCEDURE OF THE MAIN STUDY

Pre Interview

in order to learn:

o how they students feel about “writing”;

what would motivate them in a writing class;

o their familiarity with writing blogs.

o conducted in Turkish

Motivation Questionnaire

o 11 items using a five-point Likert scale

o Turkish Language

o In terms of reliability, the questionnaire had a

Cronbach alpha value of .81 (SPSS).

List of Writing Topics

Students were asked to choose the ten most

appealing topics from the list.

● their ideal boy/girlfriend

● future plans

● their favourite singer

● personality characteristics of their zodiac signs

● an unforgettable film

Instruction in how to create their own

blogs

BLOGGING

Beril, if you think you have found the right

guy, you should know, you are the luckiest

person in the world. Thanks for the great

post.

Instructor Feedback

Instructor Feedback

Instructor Feedback

What you wrote is soo true. Marriage is divine and

we should be careful while choosing our spouses.

Hope you can find your Mr. Right soon. Thanks for

the post Figencim ;)

Instructor Feedback

Post Interview & Questionnaire

in order to determine changes in student

impressions of writing and blogging.

RESULTS

Baseline Focus Group

AIMS:

* impressions on writing in general

* factors increasing writing motivation

* impressions on blog writing

WRITING IN GENERAL

● Relationship between improved writing and

improved English overall

● A way to show competence in other aspects

of the language

● Helpful for generating ideas and self-

expression

● Beneficial for academic coursework and

future career

WRITING MOTIVATION

● Non-academic, familiar topics

● Free writing

● Internet & Computers

BLOG WRITING

● No prior experience, except for 1 student

● Enjoyable

● Personal

● Free

● Easy

● Psychologically comforting

Baseline Questionnaire

Aim:

To quantify student perceptions on:

● Writing in general

● Blogs

● Blog writing

n=12

● Often enjoy writing (7)

● Find writing beneficial for academic study and

career (7)

● Prefer writing on paper to computer (10)

● Feel more engaged if the topics are

interesting (10)

Baseline Questionnaire

● Aren't willing to write if they aren't graded (8)

● Are not motivated when their writing is viewed

or commented on (6)

● Almost always feel confident about writing (7)

Baseline Questionnaire

Follow-up Focus Group

Aim:

To determine changes in student

impressions of writing and blogging

BLOGGING EXPERIENCE

● Opportunity for self-reflection

● Feeling of freedom and independence with

the use of natural language

● Freedom and comfort by not being

monitored or graded

● Helpful in improving academic writing with

more monitoring of the language

BLOGGING EXPERIENCE

Computerised writing

*time-saving

*practical

*beneficial for future education and

business life

WRITING EXPERIENCE

Writing on "current","personal" and "relevant"

topics made students feel...

● Self-confident

● Productive

● Engaged

● Motivated

More enjoyable and sincere lessons giving the

opportunity for self-expression-

Follow-up Questionnaire

● Almost always find writing lessons enjoyable

and feel confident about success in writing

(10; previously 7)

● Almost always find writing lessons

interesting and attend enthusiastically (9;

previously 10)

● Feel more engaged when the topics are

interesting (11; 9 previously)

Student reflections on blogging - as

posted on their blogs

You completely are alone in there.If you do not want to be

alone in there. you can accept other people's comments.You

get one's opinion for own writing. This situation can be

exciting iğn future , because after a short time people start to

distill your writing or ideas.In this way you share not only

your ideas but also express your self.Actually blog can help

to improve yourself and contribute your information about

general knowledge. Finally people do not should forget that .

blog improve your writing skills.

Peopele sometimes want to share their

ideas.Blog is the best way to share

ideas.After my first blog ,i felt different

because i saw that i can do something

about free writing. I can express my ideas

in english.I don't care anything about

grade so it makes me free .In addition , i

keep writing after school.Creating

something helps people feel more

productive.

I like these lessons because we are more free than

other lessons. I look forward to writing blogs all

week. I think students are always under pressure

and write with some certain frameworks. And many

times we don’t like it. Also we get marks for our

essays. Therefore we get stress because we have

an anxiety about scores.

...my classmates...look forward to writing blogs.

When they write blog, they feel free,they are not

concerned about anything. No homework , no

grades, no stress... There is no limitation.They

can write anything what they want to write.They

are free to choose topics.blogging helps them

improve their writing skills.

However, it do not help me.Because I do not like

blogging,unfortunately.I do not feel good.I am

fed up with it. I am so sorry my dear teacher :) I

like writing. I look forward to your lessons...but I

do not like writing online...

How do I feel about blogging???

In my opinion,writing blog is boring.When I write blog, I cannot

feel writing ...

Writing is an ambition.. So, you cannot write without feeling..

You should feel emotion of papers,pens..

We write lots of blog; but ,they are not felt me

anything. If someone writes somethings ,they should affect

her/him..

People write to express themselves, to be relaxed and nobody

wants to know them..I agree with this .So,I do not want to write

blogs and it is BORING...

Bruning & Horn

"Motivation-enhancing conditions"

Clusters

1: Nurturing of functional beliefs

2: Authentic goals & contexts

3: A supportive context

4: Positive emotional environment

Cluster 2

Authentic goals & contexts

● “current and personal” and “relevant” topics

● (from a blog) "...i keep writing after school.

Creating something helps people feel more

productive.”

Cluster 3

A supportive context

"task framing, feedback, & practice opportunities"

“Teacher do not grade us about blog. Therefore,

we do not have scores concern and we can write

better things than lessons. In this way, we

develop ourselves about writing lessons.”

Cluster 4

Positive emotional environment

“Not being graded” and “not needing to monitor our

mistakes” made us feel “free” and “comfortable.”

“I like these lessons because we are more free

than other lessons. I look forward to writing blogs

all week.”

“In my opinion, blog lessons very beneficial for us. I

always feel like a free girl in this lessons. I did not

think about my language mistakes.”

&

Donald Staub

donald.staub@isikun.edu.tr

Yesim Nalkesen

ynalkesen@gmail.com

Zeynep Gonenc-Afyon

zeynep.g.afyon@hotmail.com

http://bloggingatmetu.blogspot.com/