DefinePK

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the RAFT strategy and the Four Square strategy on the writing skills of EFL preparatory school students. The effectiveness of these strategies was examined across five rubrics: Style, Punctuation, Spelling, Grammar, and Vocabulary. Additionally, the correlation between students' achievement in the RAFT and Four Square strategies was explored. The study hypothesized that there would be no significant differences in writing skills achievement between the control group (taught using conventional methods) and the experimental groups (taught using the RAFT or Four Square strategies). A quasi-experimental design with a Group Pretest-Posttest was employed, involving 90 fourth-stage students from a girls' preparatory school in Dijilah during the academic year 2022-2023. The groups were equalized in terms of parental education, age, English grades, and pre- and post-test performance. Various statistical methods, including T-tests for three independent samples, were utilized for data analysis. The conclusions drawn from the study indicate that the RAFT strategy significantly outperformed conventional methods in writing skills achievement. Similarly, the Four Square strategy demonstrated a significant advantage over conventional methods. Moreover, the RAFT strategy showed superior achievement compared to the Four Square strategy in the post-test. Students using the RAFT strategy scored highest in the Handwriting rubric, while those using the Four Square strategy excelled in the Style rubric. There was no correlation between students' achievement in the RAFT and Four Square strategies. Based on these findings, the study suggests several recommendations for further research.