An-Najah National University 

Faculty of Graduate Studies 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

The Influence of Group Work on Improving 

the 11
th
 Grade Students' Writing Skills in 

Governmental Schools in Jerusalem 
  

 

 
 

By 

Nayira Basem Bader Risheq 

 

 

 

 
 

Supervisor 

Dr. Ahmed Awad 
 

 
 

 

This Thesis is Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the 

Requirements of the Degree of Master Methods of Teaching 

English Language, Faculty of Studies, An-Najah National 

University, Nablus, Palestine. 

2017 



ii 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Influence of Group Work on Improving 

the 11
th
 Grade Students' Writing Skills in 

Governmental Schools in Jerusalem 
 

 

 
 

By 

Nayira Basem Bader Risheq 

 
 

 

This Thesis was defended successfully on 11/05/2017, and approved by: 

 

 

Defense Committee Members         Signature  

 

 

1. Dr. Ahmed Awad \ Supervisor    ……………….. 

 

 

2. Dr. Mosadaq Barahma \ External Examiner ….……………. 

 

 

3. Dr. Suzan Arafat \ Internal Examiner  .………………. 



iii 

Dedication 

I dedicate my dissertation work to my family. A special 

feeling of gratitude goes to my parents who never stop 

supporting me and who stand by my side all the time. 

 

  



iv 

Acknowledgement 

I would like to thank God for giving me the patience 

and perseverance to carry out my study. I would also like to 

extend my sincere appreciation to my supervisor Dr. Ahmed 

Awad for his non stop support and advice. Many thanks are 

to the internal and external examiners whose comments will 

enrich my thesis. 

I will never forget to thank my loving parents, sisters 

and brothers whose prayers lightened my way to success. 

My Masters Thesis would not have been accomplished 

successfully without the support and assistance of my aunt 

zolfa Nassir Eddin and my friends Islam Fayed, Hadeel 

Saedi and Enas Saedi. 

No thanking words could express my gratitude to the 

source of my strength and inspiration, my sincere friend 

Ahmed Bishtwai. 

Finally, I would like to thank the school principals, 

teachers and students for their cooperation in assisting me 

to accomplish this empirical research successfully. 

   



v 

  اإلقرار

  :عنوانال تحمل التي الرسالة مقدمة أدناه، الموقعة أنا

The Influence of Group Work on Improving 

the 11
th
 Grade Students' Writing Skills in 

Governmental Schools in Jerusalem 
 

 

في تحسين المهارات الكتابية لدى طلبة ضمن مجموعة أثر العمل 
  الصف الحادي عشر في المدارس الحكومية في مدينة القدس

 

مـا تمـت    باسـتثناء  الخاص، جهدي نتاج هو إنما الرسالة هذه عليه اشتملت ما بأن أقر

 أو درجة أي لنيل قبل من يقدم لم منها جزء أي أو كاملة، الرسالة هذه وأن اإلشارة إليه حيثما ورد،

  .أخرى بحثية أو تعليمية مؤسسة أي لدى بحثي أو علمي لقب

Declaration 

The work provided in this thesis، unless otherwise referenced، is the 

researcher's own work، and has not been submitted elsewhere for any other 

degree or qualification. 

  

  :Student's name : ةاسم الطالب

  :Signature  : التوقيع

  :Date   : التاريخ

  



vi 

Table of Contents 

No. Content Page 

 Dedication iii 

 Acknowledgement iv 

 Declaration v 

 Table of Contents vi 

 List of Tables viii 

 List of Appendices ix 

 Abstract x 

 
Chapter One: Introduction and Theoretical 

Background 
1 

1.1 Introduction 2 

1.2 Theoretical Background 3 

1.3 Statement of the Problem 5 

1.4 Objectives of the Study 5 

1.5 Questions of the Study 6 

1.6 Significance of the Study 7 

1.7 Limitations of the Study 7 

1.8 Definition of Terms 8 

1.9 Summary 11 

 Chapter Two: Review of Related Literature 12 

2.1 Introduction 13 

2.2 Studies Related to Writing Skill and its Importance 13 

2.3 Studies Related to Writing Approaches 16 

2.4 Studies Related to Writing Problems 19 

2.5 
Studies Related to Group Work as a Teaching 
Pedagogy 

21 

2.6 
Studies Related to The Benefits of Group Work in 
Classrooms 

23 

2.7 Studies Related to The Critiques of Group Work 25 

2.8 Studies Related to Collaborative Writing 29 

2.9 Previous Empirical Studies Regarding Group Work 31 

2.10 Summary 36 

 Chapter Three: Methodology and Procedures 37 

3.1 Introduction 38 

3.2 Study Approach 38 

3.3 Methodology and Study Design 38 

3.4 Study Questions 39 

3.5 Study Instruments 39 

3.6 
Techniques of Applying Group Work in Writing 
Classes 

40 



vii 

No. Content Page 

3.7 Study Population 51 

3.8 Study Sample 51 

3.9 Validity and Reliability of the Instrument 52 

3.10 Study Variables 53 

3.11 Pilot Study 53 

3.12 Writing Scoring Rubrics 54 

3.13 Ethical Issues 55 

3.14 Summary 55 

 Chapter Four: Study Findings 56 

4.1 Introduction 57 

4.2 Findings Related to the Homogeneity of the Sample 57 

4.3 Findings Related to the Questions of the Study 58 

4.4 Summary 64 

 
Chapter Five: Discussion of the Results, Conclusion 

and Recommendations 
65 

5.1 Introduction 66 

5.2 Discussion of the Study Results 66 

5.3 Conclusion 74 

5.4 Recommendations 75 

 References 79 

 Appendices 90 

 ب الملخص 
 

  



viii 

List of Tables 

No. Table Page 

Table (1) 
Sample distribution according to methodology 
variable. 

51 

Table (2) Sample distribution according to gender variable. 52 

Table (3) Sample distribution according to academic stream  52 

Table (4) 

Distribution of students according to gender and 
academic stream by control and experimental 
group 

57 

Table (5) 
Independent Sample t-test for means of the control 
group and the experimental group in the pre test 

58 

Table (6) 
Independent Sample t-test for means of the control 
group and the experimental group in the post test 

59 

Table (7) 
Paired sample t-test for means of the pre-test and 
the post-test for the experimental group 

60 

Table (8) 

Paired Samples t-test for means of the pre test and 
post test for the experimental group according to 
gender 

61 

Table (9) 

Paired Sample t-test for means of the pre test and 
the post test for the experimental group according 
to academic stream 

62 

Table (10) 
Independent Sample t-test for means of male and 
female students in the post test 

63 

Table (11) 
Independent Sample t-test for means of literary and 
scientific stream students in the post test 

64 

 

  



ix 

List of Appendices 

No. Appendix Page 

Appendix (A) Writing Pre and Post Test 91 

Appendix (B) 
The Validation Committee of the English 
Writing Test 

95 

Appendix (C) 
Permission from Al-Ma'muniah Secondary 
School For Girls 

96 

Appendix (D) A Sample of a Student's Piece of Writing 97 

 

  



x 

The Influence of Group Work on Improving the 11
th
 Grade Students' 

Writing Skills in Governmental Schools in Jerusalem 

By 

Nayira Basem Bader Risheq 

Supervisor 

Dr. Ahmed Awad 

Abstract 

This study aimed at investigating "the influence of group work on 

improving the eleventh grade students' writing skills. To achieve this, the 

researcher used an in depth observation and a writing test. This was applied 

to 126 female and male students from the scientific and literary streams; 

study sample was divided into four groups. The students were from Al-

Ma'muniah Secondary School for Girls and The Promise School for Co-

education. The researcher distributed the writing pre test and post test on 

the control group and the experimental group, but only the experimental 

group was taught writing by group work strategy. 

One of the major findings of this research is that students in general 

have a positive attitude towards group work and have had better results 

after they were taught by group work strategy. In the light of this finding, 

the researcher recommends the integration of group work as a strategy for 

teaching writing at schools. Another recommendation was directed to 

researchers to conduct further research. Some recommendations were given 

to teachers  to guide them how to apply group work strategy and to  

students to use it when writing. The rest of the recommendations were 

addressed to the Ministry of Education. 



1 

 

 

 

Chapter One 

Introduction and  

Theoretical Background 
  



2 

Chapter One 

Introduction and Theoretical Background 

1.1 Introduction 

For many years, the traditional views of education have controlled 

teachers' personal theories of teaching and influenced virtually all aspects 

of teachers' decisions about classroom instructions. However, these theories 

failed to reflect the active role of the learner or the influence of the social 

interactive contexts in the educational setting. The transmission of 

information limited the students' abilities and did not ensure that learners 

internalized the knowledge their teachers try to teach them. These theories 

left behind a gap that was not filled until education has gone under 

paradigm shift from behaviorism to cognitivism and then to constructivism. 

This paradigm shift had positive effects on all domains of the 

education sectors. Moreover, it had noticeably influenced the acquisition of 

the English Language skills namely: reading, listening, writing and 

speaking. 

Writing is a challenging production skill that plays an essential role 

in real life situations. In fact, it is an interactive mechanism between 

individuals whether they are known or unknown, close or distant from one 

another. Therefore, the ability to write has increasingly become on demand 

in all domains and aspects of our global community. As for the educational 

sector, writing is characterized as a type of language performance with a 

specific graphical system which suits not only expressing ideas, attitudes or 



3 

beliefs, but also fixing linguistic knowledge of language learners. It plays 

an important role in the development of foreign language school 

curriculum. Hence, it is beneficial to teach writing at schools by using 

effective strategies which help students in mastering grammatical and 

rhetorical devices as well as giving them a pooling of knowledge about the 

skill. 

One of these strategies is group work. Writing in a group is a process 

where two learners or more collaborate to produce one written text in a 

sense of an interactive atmosphere full of enjoyment. It assists students in 

developing many skills as discussion and negotiation. It is also an effective 

strategy for breaking students' psychological barriers towards writing. It 

helps all members of the group to develop positive attitudes about their 

learning and to acquire a high sense of belonging. (Cooper, 1993). 

1.2 Theoretical Background 

Constructivists Learning Theory: Cognitive constructivism and social 

constructivism: 

The first principle of constructivist education inspired by Piaget’s 

theory is to develop a socio moral atmosphere in which mutual respect is 

continually practiced. The Piagetian constructivist teacher promotes a 

feeling of community in the classroom, makes it possible for children to 

make classroom rules and many decisions about life in the classroom, 

conducts discussions about social and moral issues, promotes conflict 

resolution, and consults children about what they want to learn. Vygotsky’s 



4 

theory in education suggests that the child is not a passive recipient of adult 

guidance and assistance; in instructional programs, the active involvement 

of the child is essential. Both Piagetians and Vygotskians consider that 

curriculum should be based on children’s interests and needs. They also 

emphasize the role of the social education in child development (Devries, 

2000). 

Constructivists believed that learners develop knowledge through 

active participation in their learning. However, Piaget believed that 

cognitive development is achieved through observation and 

experimentation whereas Vygotsky viewed it as a social process, achieved 

through interaction with more knowledgeable members of the culture. 

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development suggested that humans are unable 

to automatically understand and use information, because they need to 

“construct” their own knowledge through previous personal experiences to 

enable them to create mental patterns. Therefore, the primary role of the 

teacher should be to motivate the learners to learn from their own 

knowledge through their own experiences. Vygotsky referred to this work 

as “social” constructivism. Vygotsky’s theory was very similar to Piaget’s 

assumptions about how children learn, but Vygotsky placed more 

importance on the social context of learning. Learning activities in 

constructivist settings are characterized by active engagement, inquiry, 

problem solving, and collaboration with others. So the teacher is a guide, a 

facilitator, and a co-explorer who encourages learners to question, 



5 

challenge, and formulate their own ideas, opinions, and conclusions 

(Weeger and Pacis, 2012). 

1.3 Statement of the Problem 

According to the researcher's experience in teaching English as a 

foreign language, the researcher has noticed that students generally face 

obstacles in learning English especially the writing skill. They lack the 

interest and motivation to writing in English; they encounter difficulties in 

using the correct vocabulary; they do not keep track of punctuation. These 

problems are due to the techniques teachers follow. Most teachers use 

traditional and non effective methods while teaching writing. Others use 

group work to develop the oral skills but not the written ones since they 

believe that writing is a skill learnt by rules. Therefore, the present 

researcher seeks to determine whether group work has an influence on 

improving students' writing skills and their academic results and whether 

learning writing by responding to the behavior of others in real social 

contexts is more effective than learning writing through rules as recipes. 

1.4 Objective of the study 

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of group 

work on improving the eleventh grade students' writing skills (organization, 

development, cohesion, coherence, structure, vocabulary and mechanisms). 

It sought to determine whether group work would be more fruitful than 

using traditional approaches such as individual learning. In addition, this 

study tried to find out if there are any statistical significant differences in 



6 

the students’ writing results in the writing tests after applying group work 

due to gender and academic stream. 

1.5 Questions of the study 

The aim of this study was to answer the following questions: 

1. What is the influence of group work on improving the 11th grade 

students' writing skills in governmental schools in Jerusalem? 

2. Are there any significant differences at (α = 0.05) level of significance 

in the influence of using group work on improving the 11th grade 

students' writing skills between the pre-test and the post-test of the 

experimental group? 

3. Are there any significant differences at (α = 0.05) level of significance 

in the influence of group work on improving the 11th grade students' 

writing skills between the pre-test and the post-test of the experimental 

group due to gender? 

4. Are there any significant differences at (α = 0.05) level of significance 

in the influence of group work on improving the 11th grade students' 

writing skills between the pre-test and the post-test of the experimental 

group due to the academic stream? 

5. Are there any significant differences at (α = 0.05) level of significance 

in the influence of group work on improving the 11th grade students' 

writing skills in the post test for the experimental group due to gender? 



7 

6. Are there any significant differences at (α = 0.05) level of significance 

in the influence of group work on improving the 11th grade students' 

writing skills in the post test for the experimental group due to 

academic stream. 

1.6 Significance of the study 

This study investigated the influence of group work on improving 

the 11th grade students' writing skills in governmental schools in Jerusalem. 

This research is thus important because it was designed to explore in depth 

whether students produce better written texts when working in groups than 

when working individually. Nevertheless, it meant to introduce the 

implication of some active learning techniques through social interaction 

which involves a community where members acquire and share 

experiences and knowledge. 

1.7 Limitations of the Study 

This study considered the following limitations: topical, human, 

locative and temporal. 

1. Topical limitations: This study examined the influence of group work 

on improving the 11th grade students' writing skills in governmental 

schools in Jerusalem. 

2. Human limitations: This study was conducted on a sample of one 

hundred twenty six female and male students from the 11th grade in 

governmental schools in Jerusalem. 



8 

3. Locative limitations: This study was carried out on two governmental 

schools in Jerusalem. 

4. Temporal limitations: This study was conducted in the scholastic year 

of 2016-2017 from the 10th of September to the 17 th of December. 

1.8 Definition of Terms  

- The Zone of Proximal Development 

The concept of the Zone of Proximal Development is one of the most 

widely and well known ideas associated with scientific production. It was 

first introduced by Vygotsky(1978) as part of general analysis about the 

child development. This concept is referred to in studies about teaching and 

learning in almost all the subject- matter areas. (Dunn and Lantolf,1998; 

Lantolf and Pavlenko, 1995). 

Vygotsky defined it as "the distance between the actual development 

as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in 

collaboration with more capable peers, or what a child is able to do in 

collaboration today, he will be able to do independently tomorrow." 

(Vygotsky,1978) 

The concept "Zone of Proximal Development" has three main 

aspects. First is the general assumption which focuses on the idea that a 

person is able to perform a certain number of tasks alone, while in 

collaboration, it is possible to perform a greater number of tasks. The 

second aspect is that the assistance assumption which emphasizes how an 



9 

adult, a teacher and a more competent person should react with a child. 

(Berk,1997)  

Whereas, the third aspect, which is the potential assumption, focuses 

on "properties of the learner", including notions of a learner's potential or 

readiness to learn. This aspect seems to inspire the idea that it will be 

possible to greatly accelerate or facilitate a child's learning if the zone can 

be identified properly. (Fabes and Martin, 2001). In brief, the zone of 

proximal development is the range of readability levels that will challenge 

a student without causing frustration or loss of motivation, and it is the 

easiest or most effortless form of learning for a child. 

- Writing Skill 

Writing is a method of representing a language in visual or tactile 

form, it is a system of more or less permanent marks used to represent 

utterances in such a way that can be recovered more or less without the 

intervention of the utterance. (Daniels, Peters, Bright and William, 1996) 

Writing is a set of visible or tactile signs used to represent units of 

language in a systematic way with the purpose of recording messages 

which can be retrieved by everyone who knows the language. (Coulmas 

and Florian, 1990). 

 Writing is one of the important language skills in our life. Through 

writing, we can inform others, carry out transactions, persuade, infuriate 

and tell what we feel. However, we know that writing or learning to write 



10 

especially in the second language is not simply a matter of writing things. It 

is one of the most important productive skills by which the writer can give 

an idea or message on a piece of paper.(Wright,2012) 

-Group Work 

Group work is a method of social work that is utilized to help 

individuals enhance their social functioning through purposeful group 

experiences and cope more effectively with their personal, group and 

community problems. (Konopka,1963). It provides a context in which 

individuals help each other by sharing thoughts, ideas and activities. 

(Brown, 1994) 

In classrooms, group work could be defined as a method where 

students help each other, exchange ideas, argue on behalf of different 

points of view, solve a problem, complete a particular task and collaborate 

to produce a collective summary of their work. (Sharan, 1989). 

As for the researcher, group work is a method where students are 

active as bees working together in a collaborative atmosphere to get the 

best results. Each one of them is a dynamic contributor to both the learning 

and teaching processes. While as in writing classes, this method could be 

used to achieve a task where all students can surely be involved in 

imaginative and creative topics in which writing is seen as a social 

dialogue. 



11 

1.9 Summary 

This chapter introduced the main components of the thesis starting 

with the introduction of the study, mentioning some theories behind group 

work and stressing on the importance of the writing skill. It also included 

the statement of the problem, the objective of the study, the questions of the 

study, the significance of the study, the limitations of the study and at the 

end it spotted the light on some of the terms used in the study. 

  



12 

 

 

 

Chapter Two 

Review of Related Literature 
  



13 

Chapter Two 

Review of Related Literature 

2.1 Introduction 

This chapter was basically conducted to provide theoretical 

background and empirical evidence to support the main argument of the 

study. It is the influence of group work on improving students' writing 

skills. In addition, it provides framework studies on the same topic. This 

chapter discusses the following: studies related to writing skill and its 

importance, studies related to writing approaches, studies related to writing 

problems, studies related to group work as a teaching pedagogy, studies 

related to the benefits of group work, studies related to critiques of group 

work, studies related to collaborative writing, previous experimental 

studies regarding group work and a summary. 

2.2 Studies Related to Writing Skill and its Importance 

Writing is a challenging production skill that plays an essential role 

in real life situations. In fact, it is an interactive mechanism between people 

whether they are known or unknown, close or distant from one another. 

Therefore, the ability to write has increasingly become on demand in all 

domains and aspects of our global community. As for the educational 

sector, writing is characterized as a type of language performance with a 

specific graphical system which suits not only expressing ideas, attitudes or 

beliefs, but also fixing linguistic knowledge of language learners. It plays 

an important role in the development of foreign language school 



14 

curriculum. Hence, it is beneficial to teach writing at schools by using 

effective methods which help students in mastering grammatical and 

rhetorical devices as well as giving them a pooling of knowledge about the 

skill. 

Many researchers explored the significance of English language 

skills, but writing, despite its importance, did not receive adequate attention 

from these researchers and teachers. On the other hand, others considered 

writing as the most important gift given to human beings since it entails the 

capability to generate ideas and convert them into effective methods of 

communication. (Wright, 2012). 

Fageeh (2011) considered writing as a channel for ideas and feelings. 

He indicated that learners need time to develop their writing skills, but he 

later stressed the fact that writing is an important constituent of second 

language learning.  Mourtaga (2004), agreed with Fageeh and said that 

writing is a vital and critical means of communication. It is not just an 

outcome of thinking but a fruitful skill to feed the thinking process and give 

a deeper insight into the material at hand. One of the reasons why people 

often feel blocked when writing is the inherent assumption that they have 

to think very carefully about what they are going to write. As for Harmer 

(2004), he mentioned that writing is a motivating skill that provokes 

language development since students are required to focus on accurate 

language use and problem solving. While Tan (2012) added that writing 

opens the door to advancement in almost any field you might choose in the 

future. Chappell (2012) stressed the importance of writing as a job skill 



15 

which fosters the writer's ability to clearly explain a complex position to 

readers. 

Hyland (2003) considered writing as one of the most complicated 

and prominent skills in EFL pedagogy. This socio-cognitive activity 

involves skills in both planning and drafting. Therefore, writing is regarded 

as a challenging and unmanageable skill. This leaves a massive 

responsibility on teachers who are expected to involve students in the 

learning process by giving them collective responsibility of their own work. 

Negari (2011) added that writing is the most problematic language 

skill for foreign learners. Leki (2001) also indicated that large classes, 

teachers lack of competence in teaching English, as well as students' lack of 

interest in writing reveal a serious problem in the teaching of writing at 

schools.  

Fulwiler (2000) and Chan (2001) defined writing as a complex 

activity which needs high competency and creativity. They agreed on the 

fact that writing  is a consecutive way for conveying messages, ideas and 

information to readers.  Urquhart and Mclver (2005) stated that writing is a 

complex, recursive and productive process in which students revise and 

learn the various strategies of creativity and discovery by moving among 

the different stages of this process. 

Brown (2001) believed that writing is a tool of reflecting what 

people have in their minds. He claimed that writing is a two –step process. 



16 

Understanding the meaning is the first process while the second one is 

transforming thoughts into words and later into a language. According to 

him, students are reluctant to write because they face obstacles when 

choosing the right words to produce sentences. 

2.3 Studies Related to Writing Approaches 

According to Reid (1993), there are three principle writing 

approaches: The product approach is mainly concerned with the form of the 

text, the genre approach mostly cares about the reader and the process 

approach which focuses on the writer himself/herself. The three approaches 

are described below in details since the purpose of this study is to 

determine the influence of group work on improving students' writing skills 

and knowledge. 

2.3.1 Product approach 

The product approach was developed before the process and genre 

approach. Its aim was to produce well written texts concentrating on the 

appropriate use of syntax, vocabulary and cohesive devices. Consequently, 

all researchers considered writing as a productive skill and thought that 

linguistic knowledge was a more essential component than linguistic skills. 

Zamel (1983) defined the product approach as the traditional 

approach to writing which emphasizes on the composed products and 

neglects the composing products, the analysis of discourse into words , 

sentences and paragraphs, the strong concern with the usage (syntax, 



17 

spelling and punctuation ) and with style (clarity). He believes that this 

approach increases the students' awareness while using grammar and helps 

them avoid grammatical errors. 

Badger and White (2000) mentioned that this approach is concerned 

with knowledge about the structure of language, whereas Hyland (2003) 

claimed that the product approach is characterized by four stages which are 

a) familiarized writing, b) controlled writing, c) guided writing and d) free 

writing. 

2.3.2 Genre approach (Goal oriented stage) 

Hyland (2003) defined this approach as the staged social process of 

achieving interaction, so people use it for sharing some sets of 

communicative purposes as in telling a story, describing a technical process 

or conveying specific information to readers. 

Badger and White (2000) stressed that the genre approach is 

regarded as the newcomer to English language teaching. In fact, it focuses 

on writing about various social contexts. Badger and White added that this 

approach has three stages. The first one is the stage of introducing the text 

by the teacher. In the second stage, the text is constructed by the students 

with some assistance from the teacher; whereas, the third is a stage when 

the text is fully accomplished by the student. 

As for Slavin and Madden (1999), this approach examines different 

contexts. It moves from writing general essays to more particular essays 



18 

and from school-sponsored writing to read world content. The general 

essays involve writing in the classrooms, in testing situations or in 

laboratories .While  the particular essays can include  many genres; for 

instance : nursing notes , car plans , personal letters, research publication . 

textbooks and summaries.  

According to Kay and Duddley (1998), the most beneficial feature of 

this approach of writing is that it gives a great deal of emphasis on the 

audience and the readers of the written texts. However, these researchers 

claimed that the genre approach has some negative sides because it is so 

restrictive especially in the hands of teachers, and this is likely to lead to 

shortage of creativity, so it could become boring or stereotyped if overdone 

or done incorrectly. 

2.3.3 Process approach 

The process approach, which mainly focuses on the writer, was first 

introduced in the mid 1960s. In this approach, there is a strong emphasis on 

writing skills (planning, revising and drafting) rather than on linguistic 

knowledge (spelling, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary) (Badger and 

White, 2000). 

Teaching writing through the process approach is beneficial because 

it deals with the student as an independent producer of the text (Hyland, 

2003). However, it does not place attention or emphasis on the reader who 

expects to acquire some knowledge from the text (Tribble, 2003). 



19 

According to Rohman as cited in Williams (2003), the process 

approach is classified into three stages: Prewriting stage, composing or 

drafting stage, the revising or reflecting stage and finally the editing. In this 

stage the attention is paid to grammatical , punctuation and spelling 

mistakes 

2.4 Studies Related to Writing Problems 

Writing is regarded as one of the most difficult skills in English 

language learning and teaching. Most researchers agree that it is neither an 

easy nor a spontaneous activity. Therefore, students consider writing as an 

unrewarding and even a punishing task. They feel that writing in a foreign 

language is more demanding than writing in one's own language on the 

basis that the target language needs more abilities and skills than in the 

mother language. (Hong,2009) 

As for teachers, many report discomfort experiences while teaching 

writing. They feel that teaching writing poses a clear threat to them. 

Johnson (2006) classified the problems of writing into three categories: 

psychological, linguistic and cognitive problems. 

2.4.1 Psychological problems 

Arab learners of English language encounter many difficulties due to 

anxiety and lack of motivation, self –esteem and confidence. 

According to Woolfolk (2004), learners of a foreign language may 

feel anxious and have a sense of tension because they fear to perform a 



20 

given task. Dornyei (2007) mentioned that studies show that anxiety is an 

inevitable feeling in education and that it has a correlation with the 

student's achievement including writing, so what is needed here is 

motivation. He considered motivation as one of the most effective 

ingredients in the writing learning process. Harmer (2004) considered 

anxiety while writing as the most destructive tool of the student's ability; it 

hinders the student's creativity and affects performance negatively. Others 

as Horwitz (2002)regarded competition in classrooms as one cause of 

language learning anxiety. 

The lack of self-esteem and confidence seem to be one of the major 

reasons behind writing problems. They profoundly influence the ways in 

which students construct their new knowledge and tackle various tasks. 

(William and Burden, 1999). Teacher's encouragement and parental 

attention an play enormous role in helping students build confidence in 

their abilities. (Storch, 2005) 

2.4.2 Cognitive problems 

One of the difficulties that students face in the writing process is 

cognitive control which requires high memory capacity, long memory, text 

generation and self regulation. (Andrew and Lombardino,2014). 

Long memory helps students in performing a wide range of tasks 

such as exploring ideas and thoughts, whereas text generation requires 

mastery of mechanical skills of writing such as punctuation, capitalization 

and spelling problems. (Graham and Harris, 2000) 



21 

2.4.3 Linguistic problems 

Linguistic problems of writing are classified into grammatical 

problems, problems of sentence structure and word choice. 

A) Grammatical problems 

Arab learners of English language face a number of problems in their 

attempt to write in English. Gebhard (2000) stated that students have 

problems with pronoun references, subject verb agreement and connectors. 

B) Problems of sentences structure 

Learners encounter difficulties in sentence structure. They use run on 

and incorrect fragmented sentences. Moreover, they produce long 

sentences which require subordination and coordination. (Kroll, 2003) 

C) Problems of word choice 

Well written texts and composition should include a wide and 

appropriate variation of vocabulary along with well structured sentences 

and proper grammar. When students practice the choice of words, the 

composition becomes more sensible to readers.(Littlewood, 2007) 

2.5 Studies Related to Group work as a Teaching Pedagogy 

Group work is a socio–cognitive and socio-cultural pedagogy which 

emphasizes the interaction between students working together in order to 

accomplish shared goals and maximize their own and peers' learning. Many 



22 

scholars and researchers stressed the importance of group work as a 

teaching pedagogy. The theory of group work underlies Vygotsky's theory 

of Zone of Proximal Development. In his theory, Vygotsky emphasized the 

important role education plays in giving children experiences by motivating 

and encouraging individual learning. Moreover, he argued that promoting 

children's language learning never occurs without the interaction with their 

peers in small groups. (Baleghizadeh and Rahimi, 2011). 

In cooperative classrooms, students are given two responsibilities. 

Firstly, they are given the responsibility to learn the assigned material and 

secondly they have to make sure that all the others in the group do likewise. 

Thus, each student in the group seeks an outcome that is helpful not only to 

himself but also to his colleagues and realizes that he could fulfill his 

learning aims only if the others in the group also do so. In addition, a 

cooperative classroom is a setting where students are freely able to discuss 

the given material and assist one another to absorb it. . (Bowering, Leggett 

and Harvery, 2007) 

Cooperative learning in group work is contrasted with individualistic 

and competitive learning. In competitive learning, students are regarded on 

a curve where they are required to work faster and against each other. They 

need to work more precisely to achieve a goal that only one or a few 

students can attain; therefore, each one of them seeks an outcome that is 

personally beneficial. In the individualistic classrooms, students are 

required to work by themselves to accomplish specific goals that are 



23 

unrelated to those of other students. (Bowering, Leggett and Harvery, 

2007) 

2.6 Studies Related to the Benefits of Group Work in Classrooms 

Group work is a magical tool which creates a classroom where 

students motivated by their love to one another strive to learn and achieve. 

Hence, many researchers conducted research on the benefits that group 

work generates in classrooms. 

In the field of achievement,  Barkley, Cross and Mayor (2005) 

claimed that students who work in groups produce better assignments than 

those who do not, due to the fact that people remember group discussion 

better. He added that learning within a group fosters comprehension. 

Manor (2000) considered that two heads are better than one, so students in 

groups have a greater well of resources because of the variety of different 

experiences and backgrounds. According to Williams (2003), small groups 

are obviously beneficial in most of the teaching activities including writing. 

Gillies and Ashman (2003) mentioned that group work has a beneficial set 

of effects on a large number of learning aspects like achievement, 

productivity, motivation and good relationships with other members. 

Graham (2005) studied the influence of group work on students' 

performances. He found that group work encouraged students to access 

others' minds, debate, discuss, disagree and enable them to be more 

interactive and prepared for the 21st century. Schmitz and Winskel (2008) 

studied the influence of partners on improving others' low achievement. 



24 

They concluded that peer collaboration assisted weak students in improving 

as well as in increasing self confidence. Roberts (2004) stated that group 

work develops interpersonal skills and he mentioned that students who 

work in groups have a tendency to learn more what is taught to them and 

retain it longer than those taught in different methods. 

Group work is also effective for problem solving. Fawcett and 

Garton (2005) investigated the influence of group work on problem 

solving. The result showed that children who collaborated with their peers 

had higher scoring than those who didn't. 

In the field of psychology, Cle'ment,Dorney and Noels, (1994) stated 

that group work assists in breaking students' psychological barriers such as 

the feeling of depression, anxiety and inadequacy. It creates a positive 

setting where students form a cohesive group, which in turn, enhances their 

motivation, self-esteem and confidence. 

Burdett (2003) mentioned that students who are engaged in group 

work have a great deal of satisfaction about their decisions and are more 

committed to them. According to Watkins and Daly (2003) group work 

allows people to gain a better understanding of themselves and a clearer 

image of who they are. Therefore, the feedback they get helps them to 

better evaluate their interpersonal behavior. Hill (1990) asserted that group 

work enables students to achieve predetermined goals, develop their 

thinking and understanding, help them build self confidence, promote 

positive attitude about their learning and acquire a high sense of belonging. 



25 

Chen (2008) viewed group work as a process for establishing a 

mutually beneficial social setting where students develop their cognitive 

abilities and expand their conceptual potential through communicating with 

more proficient peers. As for Jiang (2009), he considered group work as an 

effective mode and force of second language acquisition. It serves teachers 

in enhancing students' cognitive skills and generating learning. 

Barnes (1992) reported that learners who are engaged in group work 

are able to think aloud, develop testing hypotheses and enhance their own 

communicative competency as using language in communication 

interaction. 

2.7 Studies Related to the Critiques of Group Work 

Group work is a strategy that has emerged as an important concept 

within the field of language learning. Many researchers regarded group 

work as a necessity for education and listed various benefits of group work. 

However, others mentioned the demerits it has and considered the 

following critiques: 

a. Students' attitude toward group work 

In the area of classroom instruction and feedback, many research 

papers presented a pedagogical argument in favor of peer feedback rather 

than of teacher feedback. However, other studies pointed out that students 

who are not used to group work and had never been taught how to work 

with others are not expected to work effectively with the rest of the 



26 

members in their groups. Moreover, they do not prefer to listen to or 

interact with their peers who are possibly as linguistically weak as they are. 

Hence, they would rather relate to the teacher as the supplier of the 

knowledge. (Davis, 1997) 

As for imposing their opinions, some students do not cope with 

having a conflict with their peers, so they conform to the majority opinion. 

This in turn affects their own personalities socially. (Beebe and 

Masterson,2003) 

Levin, (2002) suggested that teachers could overcome these by 

telling their students about the psychological, social and educational 

benefits of group work. However, they should make the assessment criteria 

explicit so that students are fully aware of the basics upon which their 

individual mark will be based. (Kagan,1998) 

b. The authoritative figure 

Freeman and Greenacre (2011) mentioned the problem of the 

authoritative figure in which one student, who has a higher competency 

than others, dominates the discussion and accomplishes all the given tasks. 

This leads other members to a feeling of dissatisfaction. 

According to Brooks and Ammons (2003), one way of solving this 

problem is by carefully considering the nature of the task and rewarding 

not only the effort of groups, but also that of individuals. However, this 



27 

needs a tremendous effort from teachers; tasks need to be designed and 

prepared to maximize each student's contribution. 

c. The free-rider problem 

The free-rider is defined as a non performing member who grabs the 

chance to benefit from the accomplishment of the other group members 

with little or no cost on his part. Moreover, he/she always attempts to 

obtain reward with less or no effort by relying on others. (Morris and 

Hayes, 1997) 

Watkins, (2004) suggested that one way of solving this problem is to 

make every member aware of the objectives of the task and to assign a 

responsibility for each student. 

d. The sucker effect problem 

The sucker effect is a responding reaction to the free riders. Kerr 

(1983) stated that competent students try to avoid being "suckers" by 

reducing their own input in the tasks given to them. They find it difficult to 

cover for a member of the group who is unlikely to succeed by himself. 

Kerr also mentioned that the sucker effect problem is the cause of 

procrastination in all group work activities. One way of minimizing the 

effects of the sucker problem is by doing some ice break activities which 

help students to get to know each other better. This way, competent 

students will be inclined to feel like suckers. 

  



28 

e. Group formation 

Another obstacle facing teachers in the implication of group work is 

group formation. Harmer (2004) stated that students may not like other 

people and may not get along with them especially if they do not know 

each other earlier. This can lead to a feeling of anxiety and lack of 

confidence. 

To solve this problem, teachers need to pay attention to an important 

aspect of personality dimension that is of introversion and extroversion. 

Introverts are students who are not very sociable and do not like working 

with others while extroverts are sociable and active students who prefer 

being with others rather than learning alone. Therefore, teachers have to 

greatly regard this as they structure tasks. 

f. The assessment of individuals within the groups 

Assessing students within a group is one of the most challenging 

duties and the hardest burden on teachers since most of them lack the 

knowledge of how this is done fairly. In this regard, many effective 

solutions were employed to solve this problem. Brain (2004) suggested that 

teachers should firstly measure the productivity of each individual's 

abilities. Secondly, an assessment of the individual contribution is 

considered an important means before the final grading takes place. 

Thirdly, self, peer and group assessment can be extremely beneficial for 

both students and teachers in group work. Students who are engaged in 



29 

groups are generally aware of their own and others' contribution in the task. 

This awareness could be employed during the assessment process. 

g. Time pressure 

This is an increasing and constant worry for teachers who are 

required to stick to a fixed syllabus, where there is pressure on them to 

finish the teaching material on time. Most teachers believe that group work 

is a threat which wastes their precious time. Therefore, they try to avoid it 

and follow other traditional methods. (Dison and O'leary,1984) 

2.8 Studies Related to Collaborative Writing 

Group work is a second language technique that depends on a 

theoretical background and a pedagogical perspective. With regard to the 

pedagogical perspective, a small group is based on the communicative 

approach which mainly emphasizes the importance of helping students to 

achieve progress in the acquisition of second language skills especially 

writing. (Storch, 2003) 

Teaching writing in collaborative context has been a controversial 

topic among educators and scholars. Graham (2005) stated that writing in a 

group is a process where students collaborate to produce one written text in 

a sense of an interactive atmosphere full of enjoyment. 

According to Noel and Robert (2003) collaborative writing is a 

process where multiple students work as a team to produce one document. 

Writing within a group assists students in developing many skills as 



30 

discussion and negotiation. Moreover, it is a tool for providing students 

with a better understanding of themselves. 

Ballard and Clanchy (1992) claimed that constructing a collaborative 

writing classroom is not an easy task for teachers because teaching in a 

group setting needs a double amount of effort. 

Elbow (1975) stated that drowning with others is better than 

drowning alone. He pointed out that collaborative writing classroom is 

mostly beneficial when a member is stuck in his/her writing. However, he 

stressed the fact that writing within a group is a complicated task for those 

who do not accept critiques from others. Yet, its importance is limited to 

the final stages such as revising and editing. 

Some as Gebhardt (1980), on the other hand, believed that 

collaborative writing does not only have a positive influence on the final 

stage, but also on the starting stages such as brainstorming, planning, 

outlining and editing. He added that collaborative writing should be applied 

on some tasks such as finding a topic and generating details. 

In the same sense, Storch (2005) claimed that collaborative writing 

strategy is effective in the beginning stages namely: brainstorming, 

discussion of the topic and also in the final stages such as others' feedback 

and editing. To prove his claims, Storch interviewed students to ask about 

their perceptions about collaborative writing. From the results, he found 

that most of them preferred collaborative writing as it encouraged them to 



31 

share responsibilities for deciding on aspects such as content, structure and 

language. 

As for the importance of peers' review stage, Rice and Huguely 

(1994) suggested that peers' feedback is one way to improve students' final 

drafts. He added that peer response in this stage helps students to gain more 

experience in understanding the comments of others. However, Nelson and 

Carson (1998) stated that the peer review stage mainly concentrates on the 

product rather than on the process of writing such as finding mistakes. In 

this stage, students pay all of their attention to word correction, sentences 

problems, grammar and punctuation. 

2.9 Previous Empirical studies regarding group work 

This section shed light on previous experimental studies regarding 

group work. It emphasized the various beneficial effects collaborative 

learning has on language acquisition in many fields such as reading, 

listening, speaking, writing and social studies. 

Gooden Jones (1996) examined the influence of group work on 

improving students' writing skills to pass the language proficiency exam. 

He selected eleven students form a college in New York and taught them 

writing for six weeks using group work. Upon following the collaborative 

writing approach, he used different evaluation tools such as observations, 

interviews, questionnaires and writing exams. After accomplishing the 

experimental work, the students retook the exam and eight of them passed 

it. Additionally, an analysis of the students' essays showed that 



32 

collaborative learning was an effective tool in improving students' writing 

skills. 

Storch (1999) examined the influence of group work on improving 

students' grammatical fluency and accuracy in writing. He gave students 

three different exercises: a closed exercise, text reconstructing and text 

composition. Each exercise was done in two versions: one was done 

individually and the other collaboratively. Following a comparison of the 

three exercises that were completed by the students, the results revealed 

developments in some certain grammatical aspects and it was clear that 

collaborative writing had a positive effect on overall grammar accuracy. 

In 2005, Storch has also carried out another study in which he 

compared between texts written in groups and texts written individually. 

He applied an experimental work on Australian students from different 

universities and gave them the choice of working individually or with 

others, so most of them preferred to work with others. He taught the class 

for four weeks; those who worked collaboratively used a tape-recorder to 

record their conversations while doing their compositions; they were 

interviewed individually and were asked to talk about their experiences 

during the collaborative writing process. Storch found that collaborative 

writing helped students in producing better written texts especially in 

grammar. Also, students who worked collaboratively produced more 

complex sentences. 



33 

As for the results of the interviews, Storch reported that collaborative 

writing enabled students to express themselves and to generate ideas better 

than those who were not engaged in collaborative writing. 

Suzuki (2008) examined the importance of pedagogical differences 

between self-revisions and peer-revisions of written texts. She carried out 

her experimental work on middle class students who all had the same 

scores on the TOFEL test. She divided students into group A and B in 

terms of language proficiency, writing accuracy, gender and age. She used 

a variety of strategies to collect the data needed, such as observations and 

interviews. She asked students in the two groups to read any book and then 

to summarize what they had read. Students in group A were engaged in self 

revisions for fifteen minutes, while students in group B had peers' 

revisions. So each student was required to spend fifteen minutes revising 

his/her classmates' essays and then talk with his/her peers about their 

writings. Suzuki found out that the scores of those engaged in peers' 

revisions were higher than those engaged in self revisions. Moreover, the 

results indicated that those who were engaged in peers' revisions focused 

on meta- talk, content and ideas. Whereas those involved in self revisions 

paid attention to words choice, grammar correction and language form. 

In the same field, Villamil and Guerrero (2000) investigated the 

importance of ZPD in peer revision on the acquisition of the second 

language. This study was carried out on two Spanish male students who 

participated in a writing development course. Both were instructed about 



34 

the methods of peer review and were taught how to revise a draft. During 

the experimental work, one student was randomly selected to be the reader 

while the other was the writer. They were also asked to tape their 

discussion during the revision session. After the experimental work was 

carried out, the results showed that the use of ZPD and peer reviews were 

helpful for both participants in managing their interaction, analyzing their 

written work and illustrating many grammatical issues. 

Shull (2001) investigated the influence of group work including peer 

editing to improve the writing skills for two 11th grade classes in a high 

school in the USA. His aim was to determine whether group work was an 

appropriate strategy to solve students' problems in writing. One of the 

groups was taught writing by group work while the other was taught 

following a traditional method such as teacher –centered approach. Later, 

he conducted writing tests and found out that students who were taught 

through collaborative writing obtained better results than those who were 

taught through traditional methods. 

As for the effectiveness of peer discussion during the pre-writing test 

stage, Shi (1998) conducted a study to determine whether peer talk has a 

positive influence on the pre –writing stage. He used observations and 

found out that peer work had a positive influence on improving essay 

writing. Moreover, it assisted students in immersing themselves into the 

social context as a result of getting scaffolding from their peers. 



35 

Mulryan (1994) investigated 48 students' perceptions toward 

working together. She conducted her study through interviewing students 

and teachers in three stages; at the beginning of the study, after observation 

of each lesson and at the end of the study. The study results showed that 

students believed that collaborative learning assisted them in minimizing 

their mistakes, in exchanging information with their peers and in giving 

them the freedom to solve their problems. In contrast, teachers showed 

positive attitudes toward collaborative learning. 

As for this study, the researcher investigated the influence of group 

work on improving the eleventh grade students' writing skills. The study 

was carried out on one hundred twenty six female and male students from 

the literary and scientific streams. The control group and the experimental 

group did a pre test and a post test,but only the experimental group was 

taught writing collaboratively. The experimental work lasted for seven 

weeks. 

The researcher believes that group work is an important strategy for 

helping students resolve disputes, it gives them an insight into real working 

world. Moreover, it reinforces some skills such as managing time, making 

plans, negotiating with others in the group, giving support to others, 

assigning roles, evaluating self, learning from others' perceptions and 

internalizing different social values. Also, it fosters learning. Students who 

work in groups retain more knowledge than those who are not involve in 

group work. In regard to problem solving, group work stimulates creativity. 



36 

As for psychology, group work allows people to gain a more accurate 

picture of themselves and of the way others see them. This in turn creates a 

confident and an independent student who will be able to tackle problems 

easily in the future. 

2.10 Summary 

This chapter shed light on previous literature reviews related to 

group work in teaching writing. 

The different studies on group work and collaborative writing 

revealed that although it is not a new idea, group work is a beneficial and 

fruitful strategy needed in ESL classrooms. 

The findings in most of the previous experimental work indicated the 

influences of using group work in language acquisition especially the 

writing skill which is the focal core of this study. 

  



37 

 

 

 

Chapter Three 

Methodology and  

Research Design 
  



38 

Chapter Three 

Methodology and Procedures 

3.1 Introduction 

The aim of this chapter is to specify in details of the methodology 

and procedures used in carrying out the study objectives. It included study 

approach, methodology and study design, study questions, study 

instruments, techniques of data collection and analysis, study population 

study sample, validity and reliability of the instruments, study variables, 

pilot study, writing scoring rubrics, reliability of the English writing test, 

ethical issues and a summary. 

3.2 Study Approach 

The approach used in this study is a quantitative descriptive 

approach. The researcher conducted this study by using an experimental 

design. Therefore, pre and post tests were applied to find out the influence 

of group work on improving the eleventh grade students' writing skills. 

3.3 Methodology and Study Design 

The researcher used a quasi experimental study to achieve the main 

purpose of the study as well as to answer the research questions. It was 

conducted by dividing students into two groups: the experimental group 

and the control group. 

The Experimental Group consisted of students who were treated by 

the collaborative approach. 



39 

The Control Group consisted of students who were taught by using 

any traditional method. 

EG: O1X O2 

CG: O1O2 

O1: Pre Test 

O2: Post Test 

X : Treatment 

3.4 Study Questions 

As mentioned in chapter one and later in the discussion of the 

results. 

3.5 Study Instrument 

The instrument used in this study is a writing test including two tasks 

to be performed by students. In the first task, students were asked to write a 

made up or real story about a person who had a bad experience in life but 

later this experience turned out to be successful. In the second task, 

students were required to write a formal letter to the local Director of 

Education. The study tool was restricted to a pre and post test technique to 

investigate the influence of group work on improving the eleventh grade 

students' writing skills. In addition, the researcher adopted an in depth 

observation technique to investigate the influence of group work on 

improving the students' writing skills. 



40 

Pre and Post Test 

The present study aimed at comparing between the experimental and 

control group to explore the influence of group work on improving the 

eleventh grade students' writing skills. In this sense, a pre test was carried 

on both groups at the beginning but only the experimental group has 

received the treatment, while the control group was taught using a 

traditional method. At the end of the experimental work, a post test was 

conducted on both groups. The results of the test were gathered as data of 

this study. 

3.6 Techniques of Applying Group Work Strategy in Writing Classes 

The researcher carried out a pilot study in August before she started 

the experimental work. The researcher did the study to make sure that the 

sample of the study is homogeneous and to modify the plan if necessary. 

During the pilot study, the researcher noticed that the plan needed some 

modifications. For example, the number of the students in each group was 

minimized into four students in each group. Also, the researcher realized 

the importance of assigning a role to each student and the importance of 

having a competent student in each group. 

After getting permission from AlMa'muniah Secondary School for 

Girls and the Promise School for co-education, the researcher started 

implementing the experimental work. Firstly, the researcher designed a pre 

test and a post test which were checked by a jury of experts in the field of 



41 

teaching English as a Foreign Language; the researcher adapted Paulus' 

1999 rubrics for evaluating writing tasks. Secondly, the researcher chose 

the sample of the study randomly. The researcher advertised for a course 

for improving the eleventh grade students' writing skills. All students who 

registered for the course were accepted as the sample of the study. Later, 

the researcher designed a seven – week plan for the experimental group 

whose members were 66 female and male students from the scientific and 

literary streams. These students were taught by a teacher from Al 

Ma'muniah School. Whereas the researcher taught the control group whose 

members were 60 female and male students from the scientific and literary 

stream. 

The steps of applying the experimental work in writing lessons. 

The First Week 

During the first week, the teacher held two lessons. Each one of the 

lessons lasted for one hour thirty minutes. In the first lesson, both groups 

(the experimental and the control group) did the pre test. In the second 

lesson, the researcher started to teach the control group while her colleague 

started to teach the experimental group. The teacher emphasized the 

importance of group work; she focused on introducing group work 

elements needed for effective results. She told students that group work is 

like a beehive, so the failure of one member in the group means the failure 

of all the group. This way the teacher guaranteed that all members would 

cooperate to do the task successfully. Later, she explained that face to face 



42 

interaction has an essential role to assist students to exchange information 

and reduce the levels of anxiety. Next, the teacher clarified that students 

needed to communicate in the group, support each other and solve 

problems. Moreover, she told students that the more sociable they are, the 

higher the groups' achievement will be. By the end of the lesson, the 

teacher mentioned group work problems and disadvantages so that students 

could overcome them. 

The Second Week 

The teacher started the second week by structuring many activities to 

build a sense of class unity and assist group members get to know one 

another. The teacher wanted her students to realize that each one is a 

valued and valuable member of the class. Firstly, she divided her students 

into eight groups with four students in each group. Then, she assigned 

students to groups taking into consideration the students' competence in the 

language. After that, she told her students that they would work together till 

the end of the course and she arranged the students seating in a circular 

way so students could keep eye contact and share materials. 

The teacher started the first lesson of the second week by an activity 

about group work. She asked each member in the group to tie his/her leg 

and then to tie it to the legs of the other members in his/ her group. After 

the students tied all their legs, she gave each group a task which they 

needed to do outside the classroom. For instance, she told one group to 

draw a picture about the dangers of smoking and to write a leaflet 



43 

convincing young people to quit it. During the lesson, the teacher noticed 

that students started to apply the elements of group work unconsciously. 

For example, they assigned roles to each member and when one failed to 

do his/her part, all members in his/her group tried to help him/her. After all 

groups accomplished their tasks, they were asked to give a feedback about 

their feelings toward the activity. The teacher asked students to stand in a 

circle. She held a wool ball, spoke about her feedback and then threw the 

wool ball to one of the members and asked him to give his feedback. She 

asked each member to give his/her feedback and pass the wool ball to 

anyone in the group until all members formed a spider web. At the end, the 

teacher left the wool ball and asked all students to do so until the spider 

web collapsed. She commented by saying that group work was almost like 

the spider web. If one member does not take his role, the task will not be 

accomplished successfully. In this stage, each student knew how important 

he /she was to the group. 

In the second lesson, the teacher asked each student to sit with 

his/her group. She told all students that they were going to write a story 

together by answering her questions. So each student will answer a 

question and pass the paper to his/her classmate. The teacher told her 

students that they had seen an alien and they were going to write a story 

about what had happened. She started by asking when they saw the alien 

and were where they? After the first student completed the answer for the 

first question, she/he folded the paper over so that his/her answer cannot be 



44 

seen and then he/she passed it to the student on his/her right. The teacher 

asked the following questions: 

Who were you with? 

What were you doing? 

What did the alien look like? 

What did you do when you saw the alien? 

What happened in the end? 

When each group completed the story, the teacher asked them to 

choose a member to read the story they came up with. The students read 

their stories in an atmosphere of fun and laughter. The teacher asked each 

group to type their story and bring it to class next time. 

The Third Week 

The teacher started the first lesson by displaying the students' stories 

on the board, using an overhead projector. She underlined the mistakes in 

each story and discussed the type of errors students had. For example, there 

were errors in grammar, spelling or punctuation and so on. She did not tell 

students the correct answers, but instead she asked students to rewrite their 

stories collaboratively. While students were writing, the teacher noticed 

that competent students played an important role in helping their peers to 

correct their mistakes. She also noticed that less competent students 

participated without feeling shy and that all members were supporting each 



45 

other. After students completed their stories, the teacher noticed that group 

members were able to correct most of the errors committed in the stories. 

As for the researcher who did the same task with the control group, she 

asked each student to write the story individually. After each student 

finished writing, the teacher corrected the papers and underlined the errors. 

Each student was asked to correct the errors but only few students were 

able to do so. 

In the third week, the teacher started the lesson by reminding 

students of the steps of writing short stories. She asked students to start 

with the prewriting stage. She wrote the task on the board and asked 

students to start the writing. 

The task was as follows: 

A local magazine is paying $50 for stories about happy events in 

people's lives. Write about a funny story that happened to you or someone 

you know. 

Plan your story by making notes of the most important points and 

draft at least one paragraph of your own story. Then rewrite the final story, 

making sure all members proofread it. 

The teacher noticed that the members of the groups started to gather 

information and ideas. Some of them started talking about the main 

character of the story (his appearance, actions, thoughts, likes and so on). 

Others started planning their writing by planning when,where and what. In 

other groups, some members started by creating the plot diagram. 



46 

The teacher also noticed that in some groups, competent female 

students tried to control the group members and took entire responsibility 

of accomplishing the task. The teacher interfered and told student that 

doing the task was a matter of collaboration but not a matter of individual 

duty. 

The Fourth Week 

During the first lesson of the fourth week, the teacher asked students 

to write a short story as follows 

You saw an accident when you were in town centre last week. The 

police have asked you to write what happened. write about : 

What you were doing when you saw the accident. 

Who was involved in the accident and what happened. 

What you and the other people in the street did. 

During the lesson, the teacher was moving around between groups. 

She noticed that members of groups started to form strong relationships and 

they started to get used to each other. Also, she noticed that students were 

not only writing collaboratively, but were also enjoying their learning. 

After she corrected the papers, she noticed that they had less errors than in 

previous stories. 

In the second lesson of the fourth week, the teacher told students that 

they were going to learn how to describe things, people and events. After 



47 

she explained different elements of describing things, she asked students to 

write about the following topic: 

You read this on the school board: 

Can you help? 

We are looking for suggestions for day trips from our town or city. Can you 

tell me about a place you visited recently? 

How did you go there? what did you see and what did you do ? 

Other students would love to read about it. 

The teacher asked each students to remember a trip he/she went to 

and really enjoyed. She told students who had never gone on a trip to 

imagine a place or think of a place that they really longed to visit. 

The teacher noticed that students had long arguments on whose trip 

to pick, but after that she noticed that students agreed on one. 

Students found it hard to describe the trip because it was their first 

time to write a descriptive task. She noticed that students picked the most 

adventurous trips. 

The Fifth Week 

The two lessons of the fifth week were a continuation of the second 

lesson of the fourth week. The teacher asked students to describe things. 

She reminded them of the strategy of writing descriptive tasks. She also 



48 

mentioned some of the errors students had in the first descriptive task. 

Some members took the responsibility to write down the errors that the 

teacher mentioned.. 

In the first lesson, the teacher asked students to write about the 

following: 

You lost your mobile phone in school last week. Fill in the school's 

lost property form and include details such as : 

Description of the phone 

The time you arrived and left school 

Which part of the school you were in when you lost your phone. 

The teacher noticed that some students started to depend on their 

peers. She immediately asked the group to assign roles for each one, so as 

to make sure that everyone did their own task. 

In the second lesson, the teacher gave the students the following task: 

Write an article for your school magazine about a book or film that 

you enjoyed. Write about what happened in the story. 

The teacher noticed that it was a good idea that she asked members 

to assign roles because the free riders accomplished the role assigned to 

them by the teacher. She also noticed that students, who took notes, were 

the most aware of the errors committed by the others and that he/she tried 

to correct them. Some students who were not very competent took the 



49 

responsibility of controlling the task and explaining ways of accomplishing 

it. This indicates that group work helps students to have more self 

satisfaction. 

The Sixth Week 

In this week, the teacher planned to teach writing letters both formal 

and informal. 

She started the first lesson by explaining ways of writing formal and 

informal emails then she asked students to do the following task: 

You made a resolution to learn English. Write a letter to a friend in 

Britain telling him about your resolution and asking him the following: 

If he can help you. 

Ways of improving English 

What might go wrong. 

In this stage, the teacher noticed that most members in the groups 

were more confident, participated more and were enthusiastic about the 

task. 

In the second lesson, the teacher asked students to write about the 

following topic: 

You are not satisfied with the food served in your school canteen. 

You talked to the seller many times, but he did not give you any attention 



50 

and did not take your comments into consideration. Write a letter to the 

school principal asking him to take action to solve the problem. 

Plan your letter in the following way 

First paragraph: introduce the problem. 

Second paragraph: ask him to take an action to solve the problem. 

Third paragraph: express your hope that the school principal takes your 

complaint into consideration. 

The teacher noticed that some students were bored of working with 

their peers throughout the entire period, so they tried to move around and 

sit with other groups. She also noticed that students enjoyed writing 

informal letters more than formal letters. 

The Seventh Week 

The teacher ended the seventh week by asking students about their 

feedback on all weeks. Most students had positive feedbacks and said that 

they enjoyed group work and that it was an effective strategy that helped 

them to improve their writing. Others said that their peers' feedback was an 

excellent way for them to improve and not to feel embarrassed. Some 

students commented that group work did not help them to improve or to 

write better; these students did not get better results in their post tests. 

In the second lesson of the seventh week, the experimental and 

control group did the post test. 



51 

3.7 Study Population 

The population of this study is all the eleventh grade students in 

governmental secondary schools in Jerusalem for the scholastic year 2016-

2017. The population contained 400 students from the scientific and 

literary streams. 

3.8 Study Sample 

The sample of this study was randomly selected, and it consisted of 

126 female and male students from Al-Ma'muniah Secondary School for 

Girls and The Promise School for co-education. The control group 

consisted of 60 female and male students. As for the experimental group, it 

consisted of 66 female and male students. 

The students were taught using an authentic valid exam from Trinity 

College in London. Both teaching and testing took place in the two schools 

in Jerusalem. 

The sample was distributed according to one independent variable 

and two moderator variables. The tables 1, 2 & 3 show the distribution of 

the sample according to methodology, gender and academic stream. 

A. Methodology 

Table (1): Sample distribution according to methodology variable 

Methodology Frequency Percent 

Traditional 60 47.6% 

Collaborative Approach 66 52.4% 

Total 126 100% 



52 

The above table shows that the study frequencies are 60 students for 

the control group. Its members were taught using the traditional method. 

They represented 47.6% of the sample. The experimental group, which 

included 66 students taught by using the collaborative method, represented 

52.4 %. 

B. Gender 

Table (2): Sample distribution according to gender variable 

Gender Frequency Percent 

Male 63 50% 

Female 63 50% 

Total 126 100% 

The above table shows that the frequencies are 63 for the male 

participants and 63 for the female participants. This means that both male 

and female participants equally represented 50% of the study. 

C. Academic Stream 

Table (3): Sample distribution according to academic stream 

Academic Stream Frequency Percent 

Literary 63 50% 

Scientific 63 50% 

Total 126 100% 

The above table shows that the study frequencies are 63 for the 

literary stream and 63 for the scientific stream. Each one of the streams 

represents 50% of the study. 

3.9 Validity and Reliability of the Instruments 

The English Writing test used in this exam was adopted from the 

Examination Department in Trinity College in London and was reviewed 



53 

by a jury in the field of teaching English as a foreign language at 

Bethlehem University and the Arab American University. One of the jury 

members suggested that points distribution should not be included in the 

form given to students because they are not interested in it. As for the 

researcher, students need to know the points distribution because it makes 

them to be more aware of their own writing and also more serious about the 

exam. 

3.10 Study Variables 

The study included the following variables: 

- Dependent Variables 

Students' writing skills 

- Independent Variables 

Group Work 

- Moderator Variables 

Gender (Male and Female Students) 

Academic Stream (Scientific and Literary) 

3.11 Pilot Study 

The researcher did a pilot study to examine the instrument of the 

study. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the quality of the 



54 

instrument so that it could be edited before the implementation. The pilot 

study was carried out on fourteen students on August 26th of the scholastic 

year of 2016-2017. These students were asked to write about a topic 

collaboratively. During the pilot study, the researcher noticed the following 

points: 

1. It was important to minimize the number of students from seven to four 

or five in each group. The researcher noticed that a group of seven was 

inappropriate to achieve the aim of the study. 

2. The researcher wanted to seek whether assigning a high-level student 

played a positive role in facilitating and improving the group work 

process. 

3.12 Writing Scoring Rubrics 

The major way for evaluating the two tasks in the pre and post test 

was based on Paula's 1999. Paulu's  rubrics for evaluating was based on the 

scale from one to ten as the highest score for six categories of writing 

namely; organization, development, cohesion and coherence, structure, 

vocabulary, mechanism.  

1. Organization: Organization refers to unity of paragraphs and ideas. The 

paragraphs should include an introduction, a body paragraph and a 

conclusion. The ideas should be clear and related to each other. 

2. Developments: Development refers to the examples and supporting 

details used to develop the ideas. 



55 

3. Cohesion and Coherence: Cohesion is the way a sentence is connected 

to another in a paragraph or a paragraph to another in a text. A text can 

be cohesive through the use of repetition, transition, parallelism, 

antonym and synonym. Coherence means that the text is not complex 

and is easy to understand and read because the organization of ideas is 

systematical and logical. 

4. Structure: Structure focuses on the grammatical issues such as 

comparative, superlative, active, passive and tenses. 

5. Vocabulary: Refers to the list or collection of words used. 

6. Mechanism: Refers to punctuation, capitalization and spelling. 

3.13 Ethical Issues 

This study was conducted on human subjects, so the researcher 

obtained permission from the Faculty of Graduate Studies at An Najah 

University. The permission was given to school principals. Moreover, a 

paper was attached with the pre and post test to inform students about the 

aim of the study. Students were told that doing the exam was optional and 

that any information would be confidential and would only be used for 

scientific research aims. 

3.14 Summary 

In chapter three, the researcher gave clear explanations of the 

methodology and procedures used to achieve the purpose of the study. 



56 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Four 

Study Findings 
  



57 

Chapter Four 

Study Findings 

4.1 Introduction 

In this chapter, the researcher presents the findings of the research 

and the test results to investigate the influence of group work on improving 

the eleventh grade students' writing skills in governmental schools in 

Jerusalem. 

4.2 Findings Related to the Homogeneity of the Sample 

Table(4): Distribution of students according to gender and academic 

stream by control and experimental groups 

 
Control Experimental 

Count Count 

Gender 
Male 29 34 

Female 31 32 

Stream 
Literary 29 34 

Scientific 31 32 

Homogeneity of the sample 

Hypothesis: There are no statistical significant differences between 

the control group and the experimental group grade means in the pre-test 

exam at � = 0.05 level of significance. 

A test for differences using the independent samples t-test was used 

to determine if there are any statistical significant differences between the 

two groups. A summary of the result of this analysis is contained in table 

(5). 

  



58 

Table (5): Independent sample t-test for means of the control group 

and the experimental group in the pre-test 

 Group N Mean 
Std. 

Deviation 
T df 

Sig.  

(2-tailed) 

Pre-test 
grade 

control group 60 19.85 9.26 -.19 124 .84 

experimental 
group 

66 20.18 9.43    

The results obtained, as shown in Table (5) indicate that (sig.=0.84> 

0.05); hence, we accept the hypothesis and conclude that there are no 

differences in students grades for both control and experimental groups in 

the pre-test exam. 

4.3 Findings Related to the Questions of the study 

1. Findings Related to the First Question 

What is the influence of group work on improving the eleventh grade 

students' writing skills in governmental schools in Jerusalem? 

The hypothesis generated from the first question is: There is no 

statistical significant differences between the control group and the 

experimental group grade means in the post-test exam at � = 0.05 level of 

significace. 

A test for differences using the independent samples t-test was used 

to determine if there are any statistical significance differences between the 

two groups. A summary of the result of this analysis is contained in table 

(6). 

  



59 

Table (6) Independent sample t-test for means of the control group and 

the experimental group in the post-test 

 Group N Mean 
Std. 

Deviation 
T df 

Sig. (2-

tailed) 

Organization 
Control 60 2.38 1.19 

-1.480 124 .141 
experimental 66 2.67 .95 

Development 
Control 60 2.48 1.22 

-.162 124 .871 
experimental 66 2.52 .96 

cohesion and 
coherence 

Control 60 4.05 2.13 
-1.718 124 .088 

experimental 66 4.70 2.09 

Structure 
Control 60 4.15 2.04 

-2.197 124 .030 
experimental 66 4.95 2.06 

Vocabulary 
Control 60 3.95 2.09 

-2.413 124 .017 
experimental 66 4.82 1.94 

mechanism 
Control 60 3.88 2.26 

-2.126 124 .035 
experimental 66 4.77 2.41 

Post-test 
grade 

Control 60 20.9000 9.40 
-2.112 124 .037 

experimental 66 24.4242 9.30 
 

The results obtained, as shown in Table (6) indicate that (sig. >0.05) 

for the items organization, development and cohesion and coherence; 

hence, we accept the hypothesis for these items and conclude that there is 

no difference between students grades for both control and experimental 

groups in the post-test exam in the fields of organization, development, 

cohesion and coherence. 

The results also show that (sig. <0.05) for the items structure, 

vocabulary and mechanism; hence, we reject the Hypothesis and conclude 

that there is a difference between students' grades for both control and 

experimental in the fields of structure, vocabulary and mechanics in favor 

of the experimental group. 

Finally, The results show that (sig. <0.05) for the total post-test 

grade; hence, we reject the hypothesis and conclude that there is a 



60 

difference between students grades for both control and experimental 

groups in the post-test exam in favor of the experimental group, the mean 

of experimental group is 24.42 while it is 20.90 for control group. 

2. Findings related to the second question 

The hypothesis generated from the second question is: There are no 

statistical significant differences between the grade means of the pre-test 

and the post-test for the experimental group at � = 0.05 level of 

significance. 

A test for differences using the paired samples t-test was used to 

determine whether there are any statistical significance differences between 

the results of the two tests. A summary of the result of this analysis is 

contained in table (7). 

Table (7): Paired sample t-test for means of the pre-test and the post-

test for the experimental group 

Test Mean N 
Std. 

Deviation 
T df 

Sig.  

(2-tailed) 

Pre-test grade 20.18 66 9.43 
-12.16 65 .000 

Post-test grade 24.42 66 9.30 

The results obtained, as shown in Table (7) indicate that 

(sig.=0.000< 0.05); hence, we reject the hypothesis and conclude that there 

is a difference between experimental group students' grades for pre-test and 

post-test exams in favor of the post-test exam; the mean of post-test exam 

is 24.42 while it is 20.18 for pre-test exam. 

  



61 

3. Findings Related to the third Question  

The hypothesis generated from the third question is: There are no 

statistical significant differences between the grade means of the pre-test 

and the post-test for the experimental group according to gender at 

� = 0.05 level of significace. 

A test for differences using the paired samples t-test was used to 

determine whether there are any statistical significance differences between 

the results of the two tests. A summary of the result of this analysis is 

contained in table (8). 

Table (8): Paired sample t-test for means of the pre-test and the post-

test for the experimental group according to gender 

Gender Test Mean N 
Std. 

Deviation 
T df 

Sig.(2-

tailed) 

Male 
Pre-test grade 19.38 34 9.56 

-5.973 33 .000 
Post-test grade 22.17 34 9.55 

female 

Pre-test grade 21.03 32 9.37 

-16.003 31 .000 Post-test 
Grade 

26.81 32 8.54 

The results obtained, as shown in Table (8) indicate that  

(sig.=0.000 < 0.05); hence, we reject the hypothesis and conclude that there 

is a difference between experimental group students grades for pre-test and 

post-test exams in favor of the post-test exam for both male and female 

students. 

4. Findings Related to the Fourth Question 

The hypothesis generated from the fourth question is: There are no 

statistical significant differences between the grade means of the pre-test 



62 

and the post-test for the experimental group according to academic stream 

at � = 0.05 level of significace. 

A test for differences using the paired samples t-test was used to 

determine if there are any statistical significance differences between the 

results of the two tests. A summary of the result of this analysis is 

contained in table (9) 

Table (9): Paired sample t-test for means of the pre-test and the post-

test for the experimental group according to academic stream 

Academic 

stream 
Test Mean N 

Std. 

Deviation 
T df 

Sig. (2-

tailed) 

Literary 
 

Pre-test grade 19.58 34 9.28 -
9.473 

33 .000 
Post-test grade 24.26 34 8.75 

Scientific 
 

Pre-test grade 20.81 32 9.70 -
7.761 

31 .000 
Post-test grade 24.59 32 10.0 

The results obtained, as shown in Table (9) indicate that 

(sig.=0.000 < 0.05); hence, we reject the hypothesis and conclude that there 

is a difference between experimental group students grades for pre-test and 

post-test exams in favor of the post-test exam for both literary and 

scientific stream students. 

5. Findings Related to the Fifth Question 

The hypothesis generated from the fifth question is: There are no 

statistical significant differences in the influence of group work between 

grade means in the post-test exam at α=0.05 level of significance for the 

experimental group due to gender. 

  



63 

A test for differences using the independent samples t-test was used 

to determine if there are any statistical significance differences between the 

two groups. A summary of the result of this analysis is contained in table 

(10). 

Table(10): Independent sample t-test for means of male and female 

students in the post-test 

 Gender N Mean 
Std. 

Deviation 
T df 

Sig. (2-

tailed) 

Post-test 
grade 

Male 34 22.17 9.55 
-2.073 64 .042 

Female 32 26.81 8.54 

The results obtained, as shown in Table (10) indicate that 

(sig.=0.042< 0.05); hence, we reject the hypothesis and conclude that there 

is a difference between students' grades in the post-test exam according to 

their gender in favor of female students. The grades mean of female 

students is 26.812 while it is 22.17 for male students. 

6. Findings Related to the sixth Question 

The hypothesis generated from the sixth question is: There are no 

statistical significant differences in the influence of group work between 

grade means in the post-test exam at α=0.05 level of significance for the 

experimental group due to academic stream. 

A test for differences using the independent samples t-test was used 

to determine if there are any statistical significance differences between the 

literary and scientific stream students. A summary of the result of this 

analysis is contained in table (11). 

  



64 

Table (11): Independent sample t-test for means of literary and 

scientific stream students in the post-test 

 Stream N Mean 
Std. 

Deviation 
T df 

Sig. (2-

tailed) 

Post-test 
grade 

Literary 34 24.26 8.75 
-.142 64 .887 

Scientific 32 24.59 10.00 

The results obtained, as shown in Table (11)indicate that  

(sig.=0.887 > 0.05); hence, we accept the hypothesis and conclude that 

there is no difference between students' grades in the post-test exam 

according to their academic stream. 

4.4 Summary 

This chapter showed the findings of the writing test results. The 

results revealed the positive influence group work leaves on improving the 

eleventh grade students' writing skills. The use of group work improved 

students' performance in writing in general and improved the students' 

performance in structure, vocabulary and mechanism in specific. 

  



65 

 

 

 

Chapter Five 

Discussion of the  

Results, Conclusion, and 

Recommendations 
  



66 

Chapter Five 

Discussion of the Results, Conclusion, 

and Recommendations 

5.1 Introduction 

This shows the results of the focal argumentation of the study. In 

addition, it explains in details the positive effects of group work on 

improving the eleventh grade students' writing skills. It clarifies the role of 

the moderator variables in changing the results of the experimental work. 

At the end, some recommendations were proposed to students, teachers, 

school principals and the Ministry of Education. 

5.2 Discussion of the Study Results: 

Findings Related to the First Question 

- What is the influence of group work on improving the eleventh grade 

students' writing skills in governmental schools in Jerusalem? 

The main objective of this study was to investigate whether or not 

group work has a positive influence on improving the eleventh grade 

students' writing skills. To get the results of the study, the researcher did an 

independent sample T- Test for means of the control group and the 

experimental group. The results of the main question showed that there was 

a positive influence of group work on improving the students' writing 

skills. The mean of the experimental group was 24.42 while it was 20.90 

for the control group. 



67 

The result of the study was similar to that of some scholars and 

researchers. For instance, Kagan (1998) believed that group work makes 

students' environment more supportive. Also, it helps students to be more 

confident, which in turn affects their achievement in any academic task. As 

for Johnson and Johnson (1989), group work helps to create individual 

accountability. When students cooperate and take responsibilities about 

their learning, this strengthens every member of the group. This does not 

only affect his achievement, but also the way he sees himself tomorrow. 

Johnson added that group work provides students with a feedback 

about their performances. This feedback helps students to improve 

themselves and reduces the level of anxiety and stress. He also stressed the 

important role group work has on social skills. He believes that group work 

helps students to trust each other, to  reduce conflicts, to develop 

appropriate interpersonal skills and  to achieve more. Therefore, the more 

the student is involved in group work, the higher his personal achievement 

will be. 

 Jiang (2009) said that group work brings great achievements in 

different language skills including writing. They asserted that group work 

enhances students' cognitive skills and generates learning. 

Barkley et al (2005), Manor and William (2003) agreed that students 

who work in groups produce better assignments than those who don't, They 

also have a greater well of resources because of the variety of different 

experiences and backgrounds. 



68 

Gillies and Ashman (2003), Graham (2005), Schmitz and Winkle 

(2008) studied the influence of group work on improving students' 

performances. All of them found that group work prepares students for the 

21st century and that partners' feedback improves students' low 

achievement. 

Roberts (2004), Fawcett and Garton (2005) investigated the 

influence of group work on problem solving. The result showed that 

children who collaborated with their peers had higher scoring than those 

who didn't. 

Hill (1990) and Chen (2008) asserted that group work enables 

students to achieve predetermined goals, develop their thinking, promote 

positive attitude and helps students to improve their achievement as well. 

The results of the main question contradict with what Davis (1997) 

concluded. He believed that group work does not leave any positive effects 

on students' achievement. He said that group work does not help students 

who are not used to group work because these students do not prefer to 

listen or interact with their peers. 

As for Beebe and Masterson (2003), they believed that group work 

affects students' social personalities negatively because students conform to 

the majority opinion as they do not want to have conflict with their peers. 

The results of the study did not match with Moris' and Hayes' claims 

(1997) who believed that group work helps lazy students to grab the chance 



69 

and to rely on others to accomplish the tasks. This affects their performance 

in the group as well as their achievement. 

Moreover, The results contradict with Harmer and Brain (2004) who 

stated that group work increases the student's feeling of anxiety and lack of 

confidence especially when they do not like the other people in the group. 

This anxiety may affect the student's performance and lead to failure in 

accomplishing the task. 

Findings Related to Writing Skill Categories 

The hypothesis is that there are no statistical significant differences 

between the control group and the experimental group grade means in the 

post test exam for writing categories (organization, development, cohesion, 

coherence, structure, vocabulary and mechanism). 

The results obtained indicate that students' overall writing developed 

and the results of the writing post test for the experimental group were 

higher than those in the control group. As for the categories of writing, the 

results show that students' writing developed in some areas while in others, 

students' performances were not affected. Organization, development, 

cohesion and coherence were not developed and students' results didn't 

improve in these categories. In contrast, the results show that structure, 

vocabulary and mechanism noticeably improved. 

This study is similar to Storch's study (2003). Storch stated that 

group work helps students in achieving progress in the overall categories of 



70 

writing. Elbow (1975) suggested that collaborative writing is beneficial 

especially when a member is stuck in his or her writing. 

The results of this study contradict the conclusions of Noel's and 

Robert's study (2004); they concluded that collaborative writing improves 

organization and development. On the other hand, Ballard and Clanchy 

(1992) and Elbow (1975) stated that collaborative writing importance is 

limited to vocabulary, mechanism and structure. It does not improve 

organization, cohesion or coherence. 

Storch (1999) examined the influence of group work on improving 

students' grammatical fluency and accuracy in writing. He gave students 

three different exercises: a closed exercise, text reconstruction and text 

composition. Each exercise was done in two versions: one was done 

individually and the other collaboratively. Following a comparison of the 

three exercises that were completed by the students, the results revealed 

developments in some certain grammatical aspects and it was clear that 

collaborative writing had a positive effect on overall grammar accuracy. 

Findings Related to the Second Question 

The second question underlies the following hypothesis: 

There are no statistical significant differences between the grade 

means of the pre test and the post test for the experimental group at 

� = 0.05 level of significance. 



71 

Following data analysis, the researcher found that there are 

significant differences at � = 0.05 between the results of the pre test and 

the post test of the experimental group in favor of the post test. As 

illustrated in table (7), there was a noticeable improvement of the students' 

results after they participated in group work. This shows that group work 

strategy proved its effectiveness in improving students' writing skills. 

Gooden Jones (1996) examined the influence of group work on improving 

students' writing skills to pass the language proficiency exam. The eleven 

students did a pre test. During a period of six weeks, they were taught 

writing collaboratively. Later, students retook the exam, and eight of them 

passed; their results were completely different than the ones they got at 

first. 

In another contradicting study conducted by Phipp, Kash and Higgin 

(2001), students' results were unexpected. Their pre test results were better 

than their post test results. Moreover, students showed dissatisfaction with 

group work. 

Findings Related to The Third Question 

The third question underlies the following hypothesis: 

There are no statistical significant differences in the influence of 

group work on improving the eleventh grade students' writing skills 

between the pre test and the post test of the experimental group due to 

gender at � = 0.05 level of significance. 



72 

The data analysis of the second hypothesis suggests that there are 

significant differences at � = 0.05 between the results of the pre test and 

the post test of the experimental group due to gender in favor of the post 

test. The results show that male and female students' performances were 

strongly influenced after they participated in group work. 

Findings Related to the Fourth Question 

The fourth question underlies the following hypothesis: 

There are no statistical significant differences between the pre test 

and the post test in the influence