The effect of the WebQuest Writing Instruction on EFL learners' writing performance, writing apprehension, and perception (China)

Recent years have seen growing enthusiasm for exploiting the Internet's potential in language teaching and learning. Capable of providing rich, real language input through interactive hypermedia functions, web resources promise to bring about positive learning outcomes that traditional classroom materials alone cannot achieve. To effectively integrate web resources into EFL (English as a Foreign Language) writing instruction, the researcher designed the WebQuest Writing Instruction (WWI) on the basis of the WebQuest model with an assumption that such a pedagogical model supports major learning and second language acquisition theories.; This study investigated the effect of the WWI on students' writing performance and writing apprehension. In addition, it examined students' perception of web-resource integrated language learning as experienced in the WWI and sought to determine the relationship between students' perception and the change in their writing performance and writing apprehension over the instruction process.; Students in two junior college second-year classes at a college of foreign languages in southern Taiwan provided the subjects of this study. One class (N = 52), as the control group, received traditional classroom writing instruction. The other class (N = 51), the experimental group, received the WWI. Both groups used the process writing approach. In the control group, teacher-directed oral discussion in the traditional classroom provided the primary writing input. In the experiment group, the WebQuest lessons directed students to surf web resources for writing input. Data collected included a writing performance test and a writing apprehension test administered to both groups and a post-instruction perception questionnaire administered to the experimental group. The research project was conducted within a 14-week period.; The results indicated that the WWI improved students' writing performance significantly more than the traditional writing instruction. The WWI class also experienced significant reduction in writing apprehension; however, no significant difference in reduced apprehension could be found between the WWI class and the control group. In addition, students had a favorable perception of the WWI, recognizing more advantages than disadvantages of language learning through web resources. Nonetheless, no significant correlation could be detected between students' perception and their improved writing performance. Neither was there a significant relationship between students' perception and their reduced writing apprehension.; The findings suggested that integrating web resources into EFL writing instruction, using the WebQuest model, was effective for enhancing students' writing performance and provided a positive learning experience. It is thus recommended that EFL teaching practitioners adopt the WebQuest model in making use of web resources for their instruction. Since very few studies of this kind have been conducted, further research is warranted to shed light on the effectiveness of WebQuest-based pedagogy on EFL learning.