Collaborative writing in Arabic as a second language (ASL) classrooms: A mixed-method study

The study reported in this article investigated the processes and the effects of collaborative writing on 64 students' writing skills in two Arabic as a second language (ASL) teachers' classrooms. The authors employed a mixed methods approach that integrated a qualitative case study and a quasi-experimental design. The data collected included classroom observations and audiotapes of verbal interactions. Pre- and post-test scores of students in collaborative (experimental) writing groups and in traditional (control) groups were compared. The findings indicated variations in interaction patterns during collaborative writing activities in both groups. The findings also suggest that there was a statistically significant difference between the scores of the experimental and the control groups which may be attributed to the collaborative writing intervention.