The effect of a proposed program based on semantic mapping and brainstorming strategies on developing the English writing ability and attitudes of the first scientific secondary students

Other Title(s)

أثر برنامج مقترح مبني على استراتيجيتي الخريطة الدلالية و العصف الذهني في تطوير القدرة الكتابية باللغة الإنجليزية لطلبة الصف الأول الثانوي العلمي و اتجاهاتهم نحو الكتابة

Dissertant

Darayisah, al-Mutasim Ahmad

Thesis advisor

al-Smadi, Uqlah Mahmud

Comitee Members

al-Makhzumi, Khalaf Falah
al-Abd al-Haqq, Fawwaz
Safadi, Isam

University

Amman Arab University

Faculty

Faculty of Educational Sciences and psychological

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

University Country

Jordan

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Date

2003

English Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a proposed program based on semantic mapping and brainstorming strategies on developing the first scientific secondary students’ English writing ability and evaluating the role these strategies may play in promoting students’ attitudes towards writing in the district of Ramtha.

The population of the study consisted of all the first scientific secondary students in the public schools of Ramtha Directorate of Education in the academic year 2002/2003.

The sample of the study consisted of 212 male and female students divided into 3 male and 3 female sections selected randomly.

Two male and two female sections were assigned to the experimental group, while the remaining two male and female sections were assigned to the control group.

This study attempted to answer the following questions: 1- Are there any significant differences in the writing ability post-test mean scores between the experimental and control groups attributed to the effect of using the proposed teaching writing program? 2- Are there any significant differences in the writing ability post-test mean scores between the experimental groups attributed to the used teaching strategy (semantic mapping or brainstorming)? 3- Are there any significant differences in the writing ability post-test mean scores between the experimental and control groups attributed to the gender variable? 4- Are there any significant differences in the writing ability post-test mean scores between the experimental groups attributed to the interaction of the gender variable and the used teaching strategy (semantic mapping or brainstorming)? 5- Are there any significant differences between the attitudes of the experimental and control groups attributed to the used teaching strategy? To answer the questions of the study, the researcher proposed a writing program and an attitudinal questionnaire.

Then, he established the required validity and reliability of these instruments.

To guarantee the equivalence and homogeneity of the different groups, the researcher administered a writing ability pre-test and evaluated the students’ attitudes towards writing before commencing the experiment.

Afterwards, each experimental group was taught according to one of the two teaching writing strategies (semantic mapping or brainstorming); while the control groups were taught in the traditional way.

By the end of the experiment, the different groups (experimental and control) sat for the writing ability posttest and filled in the attitudinal questionnaire.

To describe and analyze the data gathered, the researcher used means and standard deviations, T-test, One-Way ANOVA, Two-Way ANOVA, and Post-Hoc comparisons “Newman-Keuls.” The findings of the study indicated significant differences in favor of the experimental groups taught according to the proposed writing program.

There were significant differences between the mean scores of the students in the experimental groups attributed to the used teaching strategy in favor of the semantic mapping strategy.

The findings also showed significant differences between the mean scores of male and female students in favor of female students.

Meanwhile, the results revealed no significant improvement in students' mean scores due to the interaction of gender with the used teaching strategy.

Moreover, the results indicated significant improvement in students' attitudes towards writing in favor of the experimental groups in general and in favor of the semantic mapping group in particular.

In the light of these findings, the researcher reached some conclusions and suggested some recommendations.

For instance, he recommended that teachers should activate the prewriting phase using appropriate teaching strategies, such as brainstorming and semantic mapping in particular.

He also recommended further research to investigate the effect of other instructional writing strategies on developing students' writing ability, and on promoting their attitudes towards writing.

Main Subjects

Educational Sciences
Languages & Comparative Literature

Topics

• Education
• Learning
• Secondary education
• Second language learning
• Writing
• Jordan
• English language

No. of Pages

116

Table of Contents

• APA
• MLA
• AMA

Language

English

Data Type

Arab Theses

Record ID

BIM-433681