AWEJ Volume.5 Number.4, 2014 Pp. 131-145
The Effects of Writing Intervention Program on Foundation Level Students at Shinas College of Technology, Oman
Sarath W. Samaranayake
Shinas College of Technology/Department of English
Al-Aqr, Shinas, Sultanate of Oman
Joaquin Jr. Gabayno
Shinas College of Technology/Department of English
Al-Aqr, Shinas, Sultanate of Oman
Abstract
This paper reports the results of a pilot study that investigated the effects of the process genre approach on academic writing proficiency of the foundation level students at Shinas College of Technology, Oman during the third semester (April-July) of 2013. This study included an intervention program where the study group was taught using context-specific materials employing the process genre approach. The study consisted of a pretest, mid and final- semester examinations as research instruments. At the end of the study, data was analyzed using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to determine whether the process genre approach had an impact on the performance of the study group in examination settings. The findings indicated statistically significant (p < 0.001) differences across the three tests; the pretest, the mid-semester and the final-semester examinations. Therefore, based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that the context-specific materials delivered through the process genre approach are effective in enhancing students’ academic writing proficiency that will help them perform better in examination settings in English Foreign Language (EFL) programs in the context of technological education in Oman.
Keywords: Academic writing proficiency, accuracy, composing, intervention, process genre approach