Everyone Matters: Scaffolding EFL Low Proficiency Students’ Writing Performances with a Practical CEFR-based Writing Instruction Framework
Abstract
This action-oriented pedagogical research aimed at supporting low proficiency EFL secondary school students in Algeria, who are experiencing poor writing performances, particularly due to the misalignment of the high expectations of the Algerian English curriculum and their actual English level. For that, we opted for merging CEFR affordances, tailoring scaffolded writing instruction materials and integrating Hyland’s genre-based instruction strategies into the pedagogical action research process to align these low proficiency students with EFL national standards. The present work consists of a teacher-led action-research project involving 50 first year EFL secondary students whose English proficiency level is too low compared to their classmates’. To address the research objectives, a structured plan was employed involving three iterations comprising stages of planning, acting, observing and reflecting within each cycle of the research. As far as the initial iteration is concerned, we started by conducting a CEFR placement test to identify the various English proficiency levels existing in the target EFL group, followed by examining the CEFR writing scales and the CEFR Can-Do statements so as to tailor differentiated and scaffolded writing tasks aligned with students CEFR level-specific competencies. The iterations that follow, involve different adjustments seeking to obtain better results. Research findings revealed that merging the aforementioned models in addition to Wheeler’s model for curriculum design and Feez’s teaching learning cycle contributes to upgrading students’ writing performance granting a CEFR-informed writing instruction framework to reintegrate low performing students within higher EFL learning contexts.
Keywords
References
- AEF (Algerian English Framework of Reference), 2009, “Algerian English framework for grades”, 6-12. Algeria TESOL
- Ågerfalk, P. (2010). Getting pragmatic. European Journal of Information Systems, 19, 251-256. https://doi.org/10.1057/ejis.2010.22.
- Ali Jalalian Daghigh & Hajar Abdul Rahim (2020): Neoliberalism in ELT textbooks: an analysis of locally developed and imported textbooks used in Malaysia, Pedagogy, Culture & Society, DOI: 10.1080/14681366.2020.1755888
- Anderson, C. (1992). Free/style: a direct approach to writing. Boston: Houghton.
- Apple, M. (2004). Ideology and curriculum. Routledge.
- Badger, R and White, G. (2000). A process of genre approach to teaching writing. ELT Journal. 54 (2) 153-160 Bensalem, D., & Idri, N. (2022). Investigating writing self-efficacy perceptions of learners of english as a
- foreign language: The Case of first year pupils at Fatma Nsoumer secondary school, Amizour, Algeria.
- Bhuttah, T. M., Xiaoduan, C., Ullah, H., & Javed, S. (2019). Analysis of curriculum development stages from the perspective of Tyler, Taba and Wheeler. European Journal of Social Sciences, 58(1), 14-22.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Instructional Design, Other Fields of Education (Other)
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Faiza Benaicha
*
0000-0003-0692-029X
Algeria
Amel Ghermaoui
This is me
0000-0001-5493-3971
Algeria
Mustapha Boudjelal
This is me
0000-0003-4499-8733
Algeria
Publication Date
March 30, 2026
Submission Date
June 20, 2025
Acceptance Date
January 12, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 8 Number: 1