The effectiveness of cooperative learning on EFL first-year high school students' writing skills

This research sought to identify the effectiveness of cooperative learning on writing skills among 35 first-year students from a public high school in Loja, Ecuador. The mixed-method investigation employed the action research design throughout four phases: reconnaissance, planning, enacting, and reflection. A pre-test and post-test measured students' knowledge about writing skills before and after the action process, whilst a mixed-type questionnaire and field notes documented students' perceptions towards cooperative learning (CL). Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics, and qualitative data were analysed through a thematic method. The main results revealed that students' writing skills improved after the implementation of cooperative learning. The vocabulary component obtained the highest score in the post-test while the organisation component was the lowest. Students' perceptions towards cooperative learning were mostly positive not only because it improved their writing skills, but also because it developed their social skills which simultaneously raised their confidence to give and receive immediate feedback from their peers while producing a written text.