SCAFFOLDING THROUGH WEBQUEST AS A MEANS TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’ WRITING PERFORMANCE : A case study of WebQuest as Scaffolding for Students of a Madrasah Aliyah in Yogyakarta.

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Table of Content

Approval Page ... Error! Bookmark not defined. Declaration ... Error! Bookmark not defined. Acknowledgements... Error! Bookmark not defined. Preface ... Error! Bookmark not defined. ABSTRACT ... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table of Content ...1 List of Appendices ...4 List of Tables ...5 CHAPTER I... Error! Bookmark not defined. INTRODUCTION ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

1.1 Background of the Study ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.2 Research Questions ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.3 Purpose of the Study ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.4 Scope of the Study ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.5 The Significance of the Study ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 1.6 Thesis Overview ... Error! Bookmark not defined. CHAPTER II ... Error! Bookmark not defined. LITERATURE REVIEW... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.1. Internet in Writing Activities ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.1.1. Web Reading... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.1.2. Peers Collaboration ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.2 Provision of Writing Task ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.3 WebQuest ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.3.1 WebQuest Stages ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.4 Writing Activities ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.5 Scaffolding ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.6 Related Research Reports ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 2.7 WebQuest for Scaffolding Writing Activities ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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RESEARCH METHODS ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.1 Research Design ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.2 The Participants of the Study ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.3 Research Procedure ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.4 Data Collection Method ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.4.1 Observation ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.4.2 Interview ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.4.3 Document Analysis ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.5 Data Analysis Method ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.5.1 Data from Observation... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.5.2 Data from Interviews ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.5.3 Data from Document Analysis ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.6 Instruments ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.6.1 Pre-Test Task ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.6.2 Post-Test Task... Error! Bookmark not defined. 3.7. Summary ... Error! Bookmark not defined. CHAPTER IV ... Error! Bookmark not defined. FINDINGS AND DATA ANALYSIS ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.1. Types of Data Obtained ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.2 Framework of Data Analysis ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3. Findings and Analysis ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.1 Data from Observation... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.1.1. Guiding Directions ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.1.2 Links Provision ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.1.3. Student Collaboration ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.2. Data from Interview ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.2.1. Guiding Direction... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.2.2. Links Provision ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.2.3. Students Collaboration ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.3. Data from Document Analysis ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.3.1. Data from Pre-test ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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4.3.3.2. Data from Post-Test ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.3.2.1. Guiding Directions ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.3.2.2. Links Provision ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 4.3.3.2.3. Collaboration ... Error! Bookmark not defined. CHAPTER V ... Error! Bookmark not defined. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . Error! Bookmark not defined.

5.1 Conclusions ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 5.2. Limitations ... Error! Bookmark not defined. 5.3. Recommendations ... Error! Bookmark not defined. References ... Error! Bookmark not defined.

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List of Appendices

Appendix 1 Printed Version of the WebQuest ……….. 94

Appendix 2 List of Questions for Semi-Conducted Interview ……… 103

Appendix3 Sample of Interview Transcripts ………... 105

Appendix4 Printed Version sample of Web Resource ………. 108

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List of Tables

Table 2.1 Components of writing task ………. 22

Table 3.1 Evaluation Criteria ………... 48

Table 3.2 Overview of the Task ………... 51

Table 4.1 Evaluation of Written Product from Pretest ………. 82

Table 4.2 Evaluation of Written Product from Posttest ………... 84

Table 4.3 Excerpts of Synthesized Sentences ……….. 86

Table 4.4 Excerpts of Plagiarism ………. 87

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the background of the study, research questions, purpose of the study, the scope of study, the significance of the study. This chapter ends with the limitation and overview of this thesis.

1.1 Background of the Study

Writing is one of language skills that people should master. Though people have learned writing for a long time as long as they study at schools, they do not absolutely master it. In several observations teachers found that students make less progress in the writing instruction than other skills. Accordingly, the way of teaching writing becomes an important issue on language instructions.

Hyland (2002: 23) asserts that “writing is learned, not taught, and the teacher’s role is to be non-directive and facilitating, providing writers with the space to make their own meanings through an encouraging, positive and cooperative environment”. The teacher needs to facilitate the students guidance and meaningful contexts. The meaningful context can be gained from the provision authentic L2 in the learning activities (Hyland, 2003). In line with this view, Williams (2005) suggests that teachers involve authentic texts as rich input during the process of L2 writing instructions. One of simple ways to provide authentic texts as the input for the students is connecting them to internet. According to Oxford (2006), connecting the students to internet in an appropriate task is the best way to expose them to authentic L2 resources. Internet also promotes motivation (Warschauer, 1996 & 2000; Gruba, 2004b).

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For language learning, internet provides many benefits such as providing intrinsic motivation to students, giving authentic material resources, and improving reading and writing skills (Singhal, 1997, Muechleisen, 1997 and Warschauer, 1998). One of language learning programs utilizing internet, which is also a good practice for L2 exposure (Oxford, 2006) and student-centered learning is WebQuest (Simina & Hamel, 2005). In this case, WebQuest has fulfilled one of requirements that Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) activities should feature the unique technology-mediated tasks in which learners can engage for language acquisition (Chapelle, 2001). There must be a strong reason for using computer in a learning task (Chapelle, 1997). In other words, when a writing task can be delivered in traditional writing activities without engaging to internet then there is no reason for using that technology. It is necessary to look into Second Language Acquisition (SLA) principles that make language teaching effective in technology-integrated language learning. Furthermore, Chapelle (1998) suggests that the design of task should give opportunities for students to receive input, to engage in interaction, and to produce output.

Regarding Chapelle’s requirement, WebQuest with focus on writing activities provides authentic resources for reading (as the input), elicits interaction in completing collaborative task, and encourages output to produce final task (Hamel, 2005; Perez-Torres, 2005). In addition, as a pedagogical strategy, it provides the students a chance to use the target language in form of reading web pages which can develop students critical thinking and writing production of task (Dudeney, Gavin & Hockly, 2007).

WebQuest is “an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet” (Dodge, 1995). To complete the main task of

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a WebQuest, students will use information from various sources. They use the information to form their own opinions and share them with their group members to create a final project.

Learning strategy such as WebQuest fosters learner-centered learning, scaffolding, social-interaction, and authentic context (Simina & Hammel, 2005), task-based, (Warschauer &Healy, 1998), and collaborative learning (Meskill, 2003). Therefore, WebQuest is potential strategy for task-based instruction in writing classroom (Stock, 2002), especially for EFL learners (Hanson & Smith, 2003). The most important thing in both WebQuest and task-based instruction is the task completion (Dodge, 1998). The completion will be successful if proper scaffoldings are available in the WebQuest (MacGregor & Lou, 2004) which are constructed in WebQuest elements. The elements for good WebQuest consist of motivation (scenario and study guide in form of guiding directions) and authentic resources. These elements give opportunity for the students to collaborate in writing project (Yodder, 2005). Therefore, the research attempts to examine how the scaffolding as such provided in WebQuest is able to help the students in writing activities.

1.2 Research Questions

This study is set out to examine how the scaffoldings provided in Webquest facilitate students accomplish the task. Therefore, the study is guided with following questions:

1. How do the guiding directions in WebQuest stages help the students accomplish the writing task?

2. How do the links provided in the WebQuest facilitate the students accomplish the writing task?

3. How does the student collaboration during WebQuest activities help the students accomplish the writing task?

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1.3 Purpose of the Study

The study examines the feasibility of WebQuest to provide scaffolding to facilitate secondary L2 students in writing activities. Following the purposes of the study:

1. To investigate whether the guiding directions in the WebQuest stages help the students accomplish the writing task.

2. To investigate whether the links provided in the WebQuest facilitate the students accomplish the writing task.

3. To investigate whether the student collaboration during the WebQuest help the students accomplish the writing task.

1.4 Scope of the Study

The analysis focuses on how the scaffoldings provided in the WebQuest give assistance to the students during their writing task completion. The scaffoldings are in form of guiding directions, resources links, and student collaboration emerges in the WebQuest activities.

1.5 The Significance of the Study

The result of the study is significant for the teachers, writing instructions, and other researchers. The study is useful sources for the English teachers in using WebQuest for language learning. It also provides information about the practice of writing instruction using WebQuest in language learning class. For other researchers it provides some informative input to to conduct other investigation in the same field with further or other interest.

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This thesis is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1 defines introduction of the study. Chapter 2 is a review of theories of L2 writing activities and theories of practice of computer-aided writing. Those theories are the basic assumption to do this research. Chapter 3 delineates aspects related to the methodology of the study. It describes the research design, participants, and research procedure and data collection method. It ends with data analysis and instrument used in the study. Chapter 4 provides findings that are described based o the data collection method. It presents data obtained from the observation, interview and document text including the analysis of the findings. Chapter 5 presents the conclusion of this research and recommendation for further research.

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CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODS

This chapter discusses the methods used in this study. It begins with discussion on the approach of the study. Then it elaborates the technique of collecting data and the methods of data analysis. Finally, it also details the design of the WebQuest which is used for the course.

3.1 Research Design

This study employs a qualitative research design in the form of case study with regard to the consideration that the researcher focused on the observing, interpreting, and understanding of the phenomenon of using WebQuest as a design for collaborative writing task for EFL secondary students. This is done to gain an in-depth understanding of the situation and meaning for those involved (Merriam, 1998). This study as described by Maxwell (1996) attempts to understand the meaning, for participants in the study of the events, situations, action they are involved with and accounts that they give of their experiences; attempts to understand the particular context within which the participants act, and the influence that this context has on their action. The research thus focuses on how the participants employ the scaffolding process in WebQuest activities to accomplish the task of producing a report text in writing activities. This study is considered case study because of the following reasons:

1. It deals with an examination of the use WebQuests to scaffold the participants in writing activities done by the students of grade XI in a madrasah in Yogyakarta.

2. It aims to uncover the role of scaffolding structured in Webquest to help the participants accomplish the writing task.

3. It seeks holistic description and explanation of WebQuests scaffolding for writing classroom.

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(Adapted from Merriam, 1998)

Additionally, the researcher made use of multiple sources of evidence (Yin, 1993: 90) such as data derived from observation, interview, and document text analysis.

3.2 The Participants of the Study

The researcher applies purposeful sampling in the study. As what Maxwell (1996) states that in qualitative research, purposeful sampling is suggested as it is a strategy in which particular settings, person, or events are selected deliberately in order to provide important information that cannot be gained as well from other choices.

The researcher chooses that school because the school has online language laboratory so that the researcher is able to conduct the research. Thus, the research was conducted in a Madrasah Aliyah in Jogjakarta. The researcher decided that the participants in this study were the students of a Madarasah Aliyah in Yogyakarta enrolled in 2008. The participations consisted of eight students of grade XI who were voluntarily participated in the study.

3.3 Research Procedure

Firstly, The researcher administered pre-test where the students were asked to write a descriptive report with the topic about Savannah animal. The students carried out the task as a journalist to write a report in ordinary way. They should collect the information about the topic from various resources, then they do the writing.

Secondly, the researcher explained the nature of WebQuest. Having known about it, the students started to work in the WebQuest for writing a report with the same topic as the task of

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pre-test. Here the researcher played role as the teacher-researcher. It could be in that the role of teacher in task-based learning is to monitor, as facilitator (Nunan, 1992), so she can do observation and informal interview at the same time.

Thirdly, the researcher administered interview to the students after engaging WebQuest.

Fourthly, the researcher analyzed the data from observation and interview , also the texts produced in pre-test and post-test. Then the researcher crosschecked them to investigate the use of scaffolding within the activities and written product.

Fifthly, The researcher concluded the finding and finished the thesis

3.4 Data Collection Method

Multiple data are employed in the main research. There are observation, interview, and document analysis. The data collection was conducted from February 2009 to March 2009.

3.4.1 Observation

To collect the data, the researcher used classroom observation to know how the scaffolding provided in the Webquest help the participants to dothe task. The researcher observed what the participants did and said. The researcher observed the participants’ activities such as studying the directions of the WebQuest stages, managing resources, identifying and using proper information, collecting data, and their collaborative interactions during completing the task.

The instruments used in collecting the data are field notes (Patton, 1990; Silverman, 2005) and video-recorded which were running descriptions of people and their activities. The researcher

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observed the classroom activities during the program in six hours of three days during two weeks.

3.4.2 Interview

The researcher conducted interview as qualitative interviews were used either in conjunction with observation and document analysis (Bogdan and Biklen, 1982). The interview utilizes open-ended questions (Patton, 1990) in semi-structured (Kvale, 1996) to focus on participants’ experience when working with WebQuest. This is to find out the viability of scaffolding to help the participant accomplish the task.

The interviews were conducted in Bahasa Indonesia. The interview was conducted over the program. This is aimed to gain the congruity of the result of observation and to inquiry their experience during the course. The interview inquired participants’ activities such as studying the directions guided in the WebQuest, managing resources, identifying and using proper information, collecting data, and also their collaborative interactions. The questions for debriefing their experiences with WebQuest consist of three parts: first part is questioning the guiding directions on WebQuest stages to know how the participants work with WebQuest components (9 items). The nine items of questions inquiry the students’ experience, opinion, and performance in every stage. Second part is questioning the links to find out how they use the links (9 items). The questions inquiry the students activities when involving the web resources such as reading, skimming, scanning, evaluating and synthesizing the web reading. They also question the student’s experiences and opinions when involved in web resources. Third part is questioning student collaboration to investigate how they work collaboratively through interactions (8 items). There are nine items of question which inquiry students interaction with the peers and computers,

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their collaboration in reading and writing including their contribution in collaborative writing. For the details, lists of questions for the interview see appendix 2.

The interview was audio-taped and also was written recorded on the sheets. The result then was confirmed to the participants.

3.4.3 Document Analysis

Document collection is done to enrich the data obtained during the research. As Glasser and Strauss stated that

The data found in document can be used in the same manner as data from interviews or observations. The data can furnish descriptive information, verify emerging hypotheses, advance new categories and hypotheses, offer historical understanding, track change and development, and so on (cited in Merriam, 1998: 108).

The documents are students’ writing production of texts in pre-test without WebQuests and post-test with WebQuests. The documents were used to gain the information to the impact of scaffolding in WebQuest for the participants, which were also employed to crosscheck with the collected data from observation and interview about the participants’ use of the scaffolding.

3.5 Data Analysis Method

Data collected during the research were analyzed to find features related to the matter of the feasibility of the scaffoldings provided in the WebQuest help the students in their writing activities. These data were categorized into categories by data collection techniques: Observation data, interview data, and text analysis. Each category described such categories in order to draw answers to the research questions. The sub categories were relevant to the research questions formed in chapter one i.e. guiding directions, links, and student collaboration.

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3.5.1 Data from Observation

The data from observation were analyzed in several steps. The researcher read field-notes and the videotaped records transcription. The researcher focused on the participants activities on the computers, how they worked collaboratively, and especially how they used the scaffolding provided in the WebQuest. The data were categorized based on the research questions. The analysis then focuses on how the directions provided in the WebQuest, the provision of links in the WebQuest, and peers-collaboration provide scaffolding for the participants during the learning. The analysis was related to the theories to support the judgments. The findings then were crosschecked with the result of interview and their written products.

3.5.2 Data from Interviews

The data from interviews were examined for cues and markers that reflected the students’ activities during their learning using WebQuest, especially on how they used the scaffolding provides in the WebQuest. Then, the result of the interviews were transcribed to gain the equivalent information about students experience with scaffolding process noticed in the observation.

There were several steps taken in analyzing the data from interviews. The data were classified. Then, the data were narrated in a clear and firm description. Additionally, the researcher used pseudonyms for the respondents in order to keep their privacy and ensure confidentiality (Kvale, 1996).

3.5.3 Data from Document Analysis

The document analysis focused on the students’ written products which are in form of texts, resulted from pre-test and post-test. The data from document analysis were used to give

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physical evidence of the findings from observation and interview, to give the corroboration. Both pre-test and post test written product were analyzed to seek the use of informational resources and evaluated the general structure. The analysis was to obtain whether the participants used the scaffolding provided in the ‘Process’ stage. The analysis revealed whether the students employed the information from the resources they used in pre-test otherwise from the others scaffolded in the WebQuest. Besides that, the analysis also revealed the role of guiding directions to facilitate the students accomplish the task and provided evidence of the effect of peer collaboration during the completing task. The texts were evaluated using the same criteria of assessment as the Evaluation component of WebQuest, which had been modified from which from David Rose’s (2008), and Pauline Gibbon’s (2002) assessment criteria.

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Table 3.1 Evaluation Criteria 3.6 Instruments 3.6.1 Pre-Test Task In pre-test,

the researcher used ordinary writing activities, where the activities were framed in task-based approach. In this course, the participants were given task as a reporter to write a report about African savannah animal. The topic is same with the topic of post-test in order to get the description whether the provided scaffolding in post-test were used or not. The procedure to accomplish the task was given over to the participants. They were allowed to hunt for the information about savannah animal or report text from references, textbooks, and internet.

3.6.2 Post-Test Task

To gain the intended data for the study, the researcher designed a Webquest. The design follows the model introduced by Dodge (1995) and has been developed from Rice and Fish (2000). The use of WebQuest for scaffolding students in writing instruction, is grounded on the fact that internet provides good learning writing environment as well motivational aspect (Warschauer, 2000). That environment is rich of authentic materials as resources for writing, Purpose Text structure consists of classification & description. Genre

is appropriate to a report text (the text structure is correct) Staging Phases on classification are followed by the descriptions. It

goes through appropriate stages.

Content The writer understands and explains the topic (content is relevant to the topic).

Reference The use of pronouns, articles, comparisons and so on are properly. It is clear who or what is referred to.

Grammar Tenses, pronouns and verbs, agreement, grammatical conventions are used appropriately.

Spelling Spelling is accurate. Presentation

and lay out

The product includes sources citation, appropriate margins, headings, paragraph spacing. The layout is clear and attractive.

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appropriate for student-centered and collaborative learning (Hyland, 2002) as well as in task-based learning situation also to increase motivation, writing skill and reading skill (Warschauer & Healy 1997). This can be realized through WebQuest which provides independent learning, real-world task, integrated skills, scaffolding, input, interaction, output, and collaboration.

In addition to considering the important aspect in applying instructional technology is its ability bringing curricular goal (Weasenforth et al, 2002; Fox, 1998; Warschauer & Whittaker 1997), the WebQuest should be integrated into syllabus (Perez-Torres, 2004). Consequently, to be applicable for writing activities in curriculum, the design thus had been adapted to the Basic Competency (BC) of Competency Standard for writing skill of the School Base Curriculum (SBC) for second grade of senior high school. The BC is to give expression of meaning and rhetorical actions in an essay using written language accurately, fluently, and acceptable in daily life context, in textual form of report, narrative, and analytical exposition (Departemen Pendidikan Nasional, 2007). The purpose of the BC is to produce a report text. For that objective so the content of the WebQuest components are adjusted to the syllabus. The Webquest for this study was accessible from http://www.madrasah-muallimaat.sch.id/diahfakhmawati/, while the printed version is available in appendix 1.

The researcher chooses the topic about African savannah animal for the task of writing i.e. a report, as Prapinwong &Puthikanon (2008) suggest that the designer of WebQuest needs to consider students’ prior experience and familiarity with the task. The assumption is that the topic about African savannah animal is appropriate for a report text and common for second grade of senior high school students.

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Table 3.2 Overview of the task

Task

Components Purpose

Introduction To give background information on the topic: African Savannah Animal

Task To set the context through the steps which is required to complete task: as a reporter who has a job to write a report about savannah animal

Process To outline necessary steps which may assist learners in accomplishing the task: they should link to the web sites, they may learn about text report or use the online dictionary

Resources To provide online resources (in Process stage) that links to websites pre-selected by teacher within the task document.

Evaluation To establish the criteria to evaluate the final task. It is also for the students self-assessment and self-revision.

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encourages students to apply what they have learned in their local context

3.7. Summary

This chapter presents how the study had been conducted. It begins with research design adopted in this study. The study employs qualitative study with a case study approach. Followed by choice of participants, the chapter gives details on research procedure taken for collecting data. Then, it goes to the data gathering and data analysis procedures. The data were collected through observation, interview and document analysis. The analyzing of data employs multiple data sources. The findings on observation were crosschecked with the findings of interview and text analysis to find the scaffolding process which the participants taken on learning using WebQuest. Finally, it ends with giving detail on the instruments for obtaining the data.

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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the conclusion of this study, the limitations of the study and some recommendations for further investigation.

5.1 Conclusions

This study sought to investigate the feasibility of WebQuest in providing scaffolding to facilitate the students in writing activities. From the result of the findings and discussion in previous chapter, it can be drawn that the scaffolding provided in WebQuest has facilitated the students in writing activities. Three aspects of WebQuest in providing scaffolding which have facilitated the students during the writing activities are guiding directions, links, and student collaboration.

The guiding directions provided in the WebQuest stages give assistance and motivate the students performing writing activities. The Introduction gives clear directions, the Task clarifies the purpose of learning, the process keeps the students on task, and the Evaluation offers assessment. This is evidenced from the students’ intention to keep working on the task. They immediately stepped to the next stage to find out what assignment they will have to do. They followed the guidelines given to accomplish the task well. The stage ‘Introduction’ and ‘Task’ give them motivation to continue the activities that engage them in authentic and challenging learning tasks. That scaffolding gives clear directions has led the students to know when they should work individually or collaboratively. The guidelines in the ‘Process’ stage gives enough assistance through the guidelines to scaffold them in writing a report successfully, so that they need not seek other assistance such as visiting other websites, asking the teacher etcetera. They have autonomy to carry out the task by using one or more computers. Then they can collect the

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information and complete the writing effectively. The stage ‘Evaluation’ offers a chance for the students to edit or modify their work. However, there is some problems when plunging them into L2 web reading that is plagiarism. Beyond this problem, more advantages were offered by WebQuest at this stage such as links to online dictionary and language workshop, goal-pursuit activity, and self-directed learning.

The web resources linked in the ‘Process’ stage are the most helpful scaffolding especially for improving reading skill and learning language. The web reading activity in WebQuest for learning writing indicates the potential to improve reading skill, such as skimming, scanning, paraphrasing and synthesizing. Besides, being involved in a real world task, the students are required to search for definite information on the web, to find useful resources for language learning like website for language practice and online dictionary, even to improve their reading skill when collecting and organizing information and transform it in some way to produce report. In addition, links of resources in stage ‘Process’ provide the learners to build their knowledge of the topic and to give opportunity to learn about the text structure by text modeling.

The collaboration generated by WebQuest for learning activities has scaffolded the students in accomplishing the task. The WebQuest have prompted the student work collaboratively in building knowledge of the topic and joining text construction activities. They are enabled to work collaboratively through interactions between peers. Peer collaboration in their interaction helps them comprehend the task and the reading, draft and revise the writing. The collaboration is delivered through interaction. They negotiate meaning of the directions in order to work collaboratively in carrying the task. They negotiate meaning interactively for the interpretation of the texts when they are involved in reading the web.

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Overall, the use of WebQuest for writing task design facilitates scaffolding for the students. The clear directions provided in the components help the students to keep working on task and enable the students to perform the task. The links provided by the WebQuest becomes an aid in language learning and offers a wide range of information for the students mediate. Last, the collaboration triggered by WebQuest activities build scaffolding for the students to accomplish the task as demanded by the criteria stated in the stage ‘Evaluation’.

Finally, it can be encapsulated that the use of WebQuest along with the scaffolding for writing activities for secondary students in EFL context is more effective for language learning opportunity. The effectiveness provides autonomy learning, authentic language exposure, collaborative work, and technological-learning involvement.

5.2. Limitations

One of the limitations of this study is that this study did not evaluate the final draft of the writing activities to gain the final assessment as the result of using WebQuest in writing instructions. The final draft was not evaluated because of time limitation and for the fact that the WebQuest was designed without final assessment.

Another limitation is that in the study the peer dialogues of students when working in front of computers were not audio taped. That is why this study cannot show how the ‘metatalk’ or ‘language-related episodes’ occurring during the collaborative dialogue.

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Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that WebQuest be used for scaffolding to facilitate the students in writing activities especially for secondary students. The findings of this study confirm the possibility to implement the writing activities involving WebQuest to scaffold the students. This will give more motivation for the students and develop their critical thinking skill. It is also able to create a different environment in teaching and learning activities and maximize the computer facility provided in the school.

For the teaching and learning in the research site, the WebQuest has successfully provided scaffolding for senior high school students particularly grade X. It is suggested that the use of WebQuest be applied in secondary students for other grades; lower or upper, or even for elementary students.

This study shows that the WebQuest has encouraged students collaboration in writing. For further studies, it is suggested that the feasibility of WebQuest for scaffolding the students be applied for other skill such as speaking, reading, and listening skills.

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