THE INTEGRATION OF EDUBLOGS IN TEACHING

NARRATIVE WRITING TO YEAR 6 MALAYSIAN PRIMARY

SCHOOL PUPILS

Nur Nadiya Binti Baharuddin, Faculty of Education,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), 43600 Bangi,
Selangor, Malaysia.
 Introduction
 The English Language Primary School Curriculum
- Equip pupils with basic language skills and enable the pupils to communicate
in a variety of context that is appropriate to the pupils’ level of development
 Writing
- Aims to develop pupils’ ability to write and present a range of texts using
appropriate language, style and form for different purposes and audience
through a variety of media.
 ICT
- One of the shifts laid out in Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 is the
leverage ICT to scale up quality learning across Malaysia

So, what ICT has to do with the writing skill?

 Statement of Problem
■ Writing
- McDonough and Shaw (2004) defined writing as a vehicle for language practice and
further added that it attempts to communicate with the writer's ideas and thought.
- McDonough and Shaw (2004) have stated a process of writing includes the teachers
guiding the leaners- "gathering ideas, working on drafts and preparing final version"
that will establish a collaborative and interactive framework
- It is said to be a difficult skill for ESL pupils to master as it is a complex, laborious,
boring and uninteresting task (Warschauer, 2010)
- As a result, the writing approach is overlooked and simplified and does not provide
effective scaffolding during the process of producing a piece of writing.
■ Writing and Blog
- Prior study related to writing skills and blogs demonstrated a satisfying experience
and acquisition of knowledge.
- Researchers found that pupils improve their vocabulary from the online comments
and spell check.
- Despite existing evidence of the potential of blogs and social media for enhancing
writing skills, previous studies have not paid enough attention to the writing
approaches that are available when the teacher and students are given the space
and time to write narrative essays.
- Based on the literature review on the effects of blogging in writing and students’
perceptions on blogging, most of the studies reviewed revolved around the setting of
tertiary and secondary contexts. There has not been any study conducted for
primary school context on the use of blogging namely EdubBlogs in the teaching of
writing specifically narrative writing.
■ Purpose of the Study
- To study the effects on the integration of EduBlogs in teaching narrative writing to
Year 6 primary school pupils.
■ Research Questions
- How the integration EduBlogs in the teaching and learning affects the content,
vocabulary and language use of the year 6 pupils’ narrative writing?
- What are the year 6 pupils’ perception towards the integration of EduBlogs in the
teaching and learning of narrative writing?
- How does the integration of EduBlogs in teaching narrative writing helps in pupils’
understanding of the bully issue?
■
Research
Qualitative research
Methodology
■ Setting- One primary school in Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
■ Participants
Participant (in Examination Grade
- Purposive sampling
pseudonym) score (%)
- 8 year 6 pupils (12 Years old) B1 50 C

- Has accessibility to internet and computer at home B2 44 D

- Has activated YES account

B3 50 C
Participant (in Average number of Familiarity to blogs or
pseudonym) hour(s) on the usage of weblogs. B4 46 D

internet a day G1 64 C
B1 5 Yes
G2 55 C
B2 2 Yes
B3 3 Yes G3 48 D
B4 4 No
G4 42 D
G1 1 No
G2 2 No
G3 3 Yes
 Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4

WEEK 2 & 3
WEEK 1

WEEK 4

WEEK 5
20 hours of
EduBlogs
Pre- Test engagement Analyzing
Post-Test data
‘The Curriculum
Cycle’
(Derewianka,
1990)
 Findings
■ RQ 1: How EduBlogs effects the content, vocabulary and grammar of the pupils’
narrative writing?
■ RQ 2: What are the year 6 pupils’ perceptions toward the integration of EduBlogs in the
teaching of Narrative Writing?

To address this second research question, the participants were asked to reflect upon five
open-ended questions at the conclusion of the study. The questions that were prompted to
them were:
(a) What do I like about using EduBlogs as a tool in writing?
(b) What do I dislike about using EduBlogs as a tool in writing?
(c) What are some suggestions to improve the use of EduBlogs in the teaching of
Narrative writing?
(d) How do I compare posting on EduBlogs and writing on paper?
(e) What do I understand about bully issue?
 Reflection Question 1: What do I like about using EduBlogs as a tool in writing?
Categories Number of Comments Sample of Comments
Fun to use 7 I enjoy(ed) the process and I am
happy…can read other blogs
Improve writing by commenting and 6 I like (to) read my friend(s)
reviewing responses from friends. comments …..I (can) make
corrections…I like (to) post
comments
Customize my own blog post and 5 I like (to) use colours…..pictures.
writing
No need to write 2 I can type only...not tiered writing.
Help to improve the use of 1 I learn using computer and email
technology
Fast marking and feedback 1 Teacher mark(ed) the essay
fast(er)…can know marks faster
Flexibility in task completion 1 I can finish work at home...can play
laptop at home

Reflection Question 2: What do I dislike about using EduBlogs as a tool in writing?

Slow typing ability 6 I type slowly...I am always late
Internet and computer accessibility 5 Slow computer at school….need to
borrow mom’s/dad’s laptop ….slow
internet

Work was not auto-saved 3 Need to type again if I go back (Had

to redo the typing if she/he
accidently exit the post)….I lost my
essay many time

Full access to friends and teacher 2 Asyraf laugh at me (my

work)….everyone can see and copy
my sentences.
Reflection Question 3 : What are some suggestions to improve the use of EduBlogs in
the teaching of Narrative writing?
More time for blogging
Get more peers to comment
Allow more personalization
to the blog
Blogsite should have word
count
6 We should go to computer
lab everyday…one hour not
30 minutes…
4 Can ask all 6 Gamma
join…can make my friends
comment..
2 Can have many blackpink
backgrounds… can put
songs
1 Very hard to count words in
laptop…hard to transfer to
word (Microsoft word)
Reflection Question 4: How do I compare posting on EduBlogs and writing on
paper?
EduBlogs posting is faster 6 Can get idea faster..can
look at friends ideas…type
faster then write on paper..
I learn to write better
sentences
EduBlogs posting is not 5 Writing is slower and make
tiring hands tiered
Can get more feedback 4 On paper we can only get
teacher correct (teacher
evaluation)…on blog post
we can get friends and
teacher comments.
Allow exploration and 2 Can google idea before we
research and brainstorming type our answer.. can check
become easier. spelling (online spelling
checking)
■ RQ 3: How Does the Integration of EduBlogs in the teaching of Narrative Writing Helps in Pupils’
Understanding of Bully Issue?
– Types of bully
– Cause and effect of bully
Reflection Question 5: What do I understand about the bully issue?
Categories Number of comments Sample of Comments
1) The bully wants attention 3 The bully wants (some) friends…

The bully has no friend so, he want ( The bully wants to make a new friends)

The bully want to stand infront of class ( The bully want to called and punished
in front of his friends)

2) The bully wants money 2 The bully (was) poor and hungry..

The bully need (a) lot of money…

3) The bully is a gangster ( Attitude problem) 1 The bully is a bad person..he thinks it’s ok

4) Causing anxiety 4 The victim will run..

The good students will not go (to) school…

Their friends (will be) scared…

Their (they) will hide…

5) Depression and sadness 2 The victims (will) feel sad..

They (the victims/ the bully) will have many enemy and sad…

6) School dropouts and effects learning 2 They ( the victims ) don’t go (to) school and cannot study…

They (the bully) will (be) kicked from school by the discipline teacher….

– Ways to overcome
 Discussion
■ The finding shows that there is a significant improvement in pupils’ content
and vocabulary based on their post test result.

■ In the other hand, this study shows no significance improvement in pupils’

grammar skill as they might need more practices and emphasis in various
grammatical areas.

■ All the participants perceived the integration of EduBlogs in the teaching of

narrative writing as engaging and helpful, served as language support,
provided peer feedback and support and promote learning personalization
and creativity.

■ The challenges that they encountered were their ability to have access to the
internet and computer for the purpose of independent learning at home.
 References
■ Derewianka, B. 1990. Exploring How Text Works. Sydney: Primary English Teaching
Association.
■ McDonough, J. & Shaw, C. 2004. (2nd edition) Materials and Methods in ELT. A
Teacher’s Guide. Malden: Blackwell.
■ Warschauer, M. 2010. Invited commentary: New tools for teaching writing. Language
Learning & Technology, 14(1), 3-8

Acknowledgement
“Here’s to those who inspired me and don’t even know it, thank you for keep on believing in me.”

My Dearest Parents
Dr Maslawati Binti Mohamad (Supervisor)
Committee members of SKEPEN UKM 2019