THE EFFECTS OF THE USE OF BLOGS ON THE WRITING PERFORMANCES AND PERCEPTIONS OF TURKISH EFL STUDENTS

Abstract

The study aimed to examine the effects of blogging on Turkish EFL students' writing performances and perceptions. The study included 20 Turkish EFL students from Gazi University's School of Foreign Languages. The research was divided into three parts: (1) the effects of blog use on students' writing performances, (2) the effects of blog use on students' perception, and (3) the association of students' perception of blog use with their writing performances. The data were obtained by using six (12 drafts) writing assignments created by the students, (2) interviews done at the beginning and finalization of the term, and (3) a five-point Likert scale questionnaire. A mixed method was adopted while analyzing the data. The research lasted 14 weeks. The findings revealed that blog-incorporated writing classes improved students' writing abilities. The students had a favourable opinion of using blogs in writing instruction. The general perception of the students was related to the student's motivation to utilize blogs. The writing process and writing scores had a substantial relationship. While the blog writing technique was in progress, the student's writing skills improved simultaneously. There was a significant association between the writing process and motivation, indicating the student's motivation increased due to using the blog.

Keywords

• Blog Writing
• Teacher Feedback
• Peer Feedback
• ICT
• EFL Students

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