Students’ Perceived Learning Outcomes through Writing Activities in an EFL University Writing Course*

Abstract

Most sociocultural researchers have not paid full attention to what classroom writing activities really mean to L2 learners and how these activities relate to learning outcomes from learners’ perspectives. This study explores students' perceptions of writing activities and learning outcomes and the relationships between the activities and the outcomes in an EFL university writing course. A case study methodology was used on the basis of the data collection of students' semester ending learning stories. The data were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. The findings reveal that the peer review activity and the assignment writing practice regarded as the two most representative activities outweighed the importance of teacher feedback and tutorial. These two meaningful activities enabled the participants to gain sense of improvement and change their negative attitudes toward English writing. While the weekly writing assignment helped students to discover the significance of writing processes and to regulate their writing practices, the peer review activity motivated the students to develop a sense of authorship with substantial audience and to have realistic purposes for writing. Therefore, a better awareness of these students' perceptions enables EFL researchers and teachers to develop a more integrated approach to teaching writing responding to students' various perspectives.