An Assessment on the Implementation of Process Approach in Teaching Writing Skills: The Case of Preparatory Schools in Wolaita Zone

It is obvious that the English courses offered in different schools are based on the assumption that what is taught and learned in these schools would help students overcome their previous writing problems and write well in their English. The major objective of this study was to assess the implementation of process approach in teaching’ writing skills and to identify kinds of errors the students commit during writing through process approach. To this end, checklists were prepared so as to check the students’ writing skills. Textbook content analysis, teachers’ and students’ questionnaire results, semi-structured interview with teachers and students, and classroom observation results were used. Subjects selected were Wolaita Sodo preparatory school grade 12 students and teachers. Using purposive sampling technique, ten (10) English teachers of grade 12 were included as a sample for this study because they were fewer in number and easily managed. Out of 1200 Grade- 12 students, 300 sample students were taken using top 20 achieving students from 15 sections (section A-to-O) for filling the questionnaire. In relation to this kind of subject selection technique, Mertler (2005) recommends that about 20-25% of the respondents should be selected from the total population. According to his recommendation, this study included 25% of the total population as the student respondents of this work. Concerning the research design, a descriptive research design was used to analyze and interpret the data. The findings of the study indicated that the students’ writing skill is terribly low. Tests were given to the participants and it was found that students couldn’t keep the given good paragraph writing criteria. In effect, students wrote fragmented ideas without giving a complete idea and they were generally found less successful in meeting the writing requirements and expectations of the teachers, specifically; teachers’ expectations in terms of writing skills and English language proficiency because most of the students scored below an average value and also the higher value lied in negative standard deviation and mean. Moreover, both teachers and the students appeared to have different views as to the responsibility of teachers to help students improve their writing skills. However, as a whole, it was found out that the teachers in the Wolaita Sodo Preparatory school appeared to have paid little attention to help their students improve their writing skills though it is possible that some teachers may individually help their students. My observation in the real classroom practice also indicated that some students even couldn’t write a single meaningful sentence let alone writing effective paragraph in the grounds that the teachers and students of grade 12 were not practicing writing skills using process approach. Some factors which hinder the implementation of process approach reported by both teachers and students were shortage of time, low background knowledge in writing, and interest, inappropriate contents and lack of support. By and large, the students written test score performance was very poor; students learn writing in rare cases, which resulted students to be passive in learning writing skills except few students who were found voluntary and motivated while about 225 (75%), out of the total students, were not ok. Students’ motivation to write outside the class was also reported to be low. According to the students’ text book analysis, it was reported that writing exercises found in grade-12 textbooks were not authentic, and as a result, do not show various steps to develop the students’ writing skills, but similar activities were presented in each unit though students at this level must see various forms of academic writings. Therefore, the researcher likes to recommend that students should be given very practical process writing tasks from the very beginning so that they can be able to develop their writing skills step by step, and writing tasks should be given individually in order to minimize the dependence on a single student.