Effect of Teaching Strategies on Students’ English Writing Skills at Secondary School Certificate

Abstract

Teaching strategies have a significant effect on students’ English language writing skills at the secondary school level. Secondary School teachers use an array of teaching strategies for developing English writing skills. However, it is a common observation that students of SSC have inadequate English writing skills. This research paper aims to examine which teaching strategies are used by SSC teachers for teaching English writing and which of these have their effect on student performance regarding students' low achievement in English writing at the SSC level. The study opted for a cross-sectional study design. Data were collected from students of SSC to determine the teaching strategies used by their teachers. Instruments of the study consisted of an achievement test and a questionnaire. The test was given to students to know the existing skill in English writing. Similarly, a questionnaire was administered to students to know teaching strategies used by their teachers. The effect of teaching strategies was measured on three domains of English writing such as development and organization of ideas as well as language conventions. Although various strategies affect students’ achievement results of the study showed that certain strategies that significantly affect students’ English writing skills such as self-review, pair work, oral feedback, the teaching of grammar, and translation. It is recommended that teachers of SSC should actively engage in the process of writing by using student-centered strategies that may result in effective writing skills.