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Papers by Abdel Salam El-Koumy
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2004
The aim of this book is to provide a compromise between past and present theories of language tea... more The aim of this book is to provide a compromise between past and present theories of language teaching and learning. The book is organized into six main parts. In the first part, the author highlights the strengths and weaknesses of both the skills-based approach and the whole-language approach. He then presents a theory that emphasizes the strengths of both and shares the weaknesses of neither. Part two consists of six chapters that are devoted to the integration of subsidiary skills with main language skills. Part three consists of four chapters that focus on the integration of main language skills with subsidiary skills. Part four consists of four chapters that are devoted to integrating main language skills with each other. Part five deals with the integration of all language skills through literature. Part six consists of two chapters that address error correction and assessment. In following the above organization, the author aims at building gradually toward whole language, and weaving error correction and assessment into the suggested approach.
Keywords: Language Skills; English Instruction; Teaching Methods; Whole Language Approach; Writing Skills; Vocabulary Development; Spelling; Grammar; Pronunciation; Handwriting; Listening Skills; Punctuation; Speech Skills; Reading Skills; Integrated Activities; Error Correction; Evaluation
Social Science Research Network, 2009
Social Science Research Network, Aug 11, 2016
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1991
Abstract Comparing the Effectiveness of Three Strategies of Teaching Composition: Guided, Free, a... more Abstract Comparing the Effectiveness of Three Strategies of Teaching Composition: Guided, Free, and Guided-free Unpublished PhD dissertation submitted by Abdel Salam Abdel Khalek El-Koumy Problem of the study: The problem of the study lay in the dilemma faced by EFL teachers over the strategy to be followed for teaching written composition. Aim of the study: The study aimed to determine the most effective strategy for teaching written composition to secondary school EFL students by investigating the effectiveness of three strategies: guided, free, and guided-free. Design of the study: The study employed a pre-posttest experimental design. Participants for the study: The participants for the study comprised three experimental groups totaling 96 third-year secondary school students chosen at random from Menouf Secondary School for Boys, Menoufia, Egypt. Each group consisted of thirty-two students. Method and procedure of the study: In light of the previous literature relevant to the study, the researcher developed a composition course in the three forms: (1) guided, (2) free, and (3) guided-free. He also developed a valid and reliable scale for scoring the quality and quantity of written composition. Then, the three experimental groups of the study were randomly assigned to one of the three forms of the composition course. Afterwards, three EFL instructors with the same qualifications and similar teaching experiences were randomly assigned to teaching one of the three forms of the composition course after they were trained to do so. Before conducting the experiment the three experimental groups were pre-tested to measure their performance in free composition writing which is considered by writing specialists as the ultimate goal of composition instruction. The study lasted for fourteen weeks, one session per week, commencing at the beginning of the 1988-1989 academic year. After treatment, the three experimental groups were post-tested to measure their performance in free composition writing. The collected data were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the t-test. Results of the study: The pre-test data analysis revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in free composition writing among the three groups of the study (f=5.57, p= 0.95). However, the post-test data analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in free composition writing among the three groups of the study in favor of the guided-free strategy group (f=34.01, p< 0.05). Students in the guided-free strategy group scored significantly higher than those in the guided strategy group (t= 3.29, p< 0.05) who, in turn, scored significantly higher than those in the free strategy group (t= 4.87, p< 0.05). These findings suggest that the teaching of written composition to third-year secondary school students should be based upon the quality and quantity of writing, not upon either this or that. Conclusion: Within its limitations, the study concluded that the guided-free strategy is the most effective strategy for teaching written composition to secondary school EFL students. Keywords: Composition Instruction, Free Composition, Guided Composition, Guided-free Composition, Responding to Students' Writing, Scale for Scoring Written Composition, Student Writing Performance, Written Composition.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1997
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1995
The most commonly held view in the 1950s and 1960s was that the mother tongue was the prime or ev... more The most commonly held view in the 1950s and 1960s was that the mother tongue was the prime or even the sole cause of a learner’s problems with the second or foreign language. This view was closely linked to the behaviorist learning theory which sees language learning as a process of habit formation and old habits as obstacles to learning new ones. Yet, in the 1970s a growing body of empirical studies showed that transfer from the mother tongue plays little or no role in second language acquisition and that errors made by second language learners are to a large extent common to learners with different mother tongues. As a result of these findings in addition to the theoretical attacks on the behaviorist learning theory, L1 interference fell into disfavor and the mother tongue is no longer a hindrance to second or foreign language learning. Although Arabic is extensively used in the teaching of English in Egypt, there is a conspicuous absence of investigations of how it can be effectively used in this process. This study, therefore, is an attempt to determine the effect of mixing English and Arabic versus using the two languages separately on EFL listening comprehension. The subjects for the study consisted of 153 2nd year pupils enrolled in four classes attending two preparatory schools in Ismailia governorate. In two classes the mixing approach, in which the teacher read out the listening text in small units translating each unit into the mother tongue, was used. In the other two classes the separation approach, in which the teacher used only Arabic at the beginning and English in the rest of each listening session, was used.Data for the study were collected by means of a listening comprehension test, which was constructed by the researcher to be used as a pre- and post-test. Statistical analysis of the data using the t-test revealed a significant difference between the average mean scores of the two groups in favor of the group exposed to the separation approach (t=2.12, p
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2003
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2004
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1996
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1994
As language and culture are inseparably interwoven native speakers reflect their own culture in t... more As language and culture are inseparably interwoven native speakers reflect their own culture in their speech and writing. For this reason, some language teaching theorists stress the need to teach the target culture to non-native speakers not only because the transmission of this culture breaks down isolation but also gives life and meaning to the foreign language. On the contrary, other language teaching theorists fear that learning the target culture may result in undermining the non-native speakers’ identity or lead to psychological problems such as frustration and feelings of inferiority. This study, therefore, provides the ground on which course designers can make decisions about the inclusion of culture in the EFL curriculum. The purposes of the study were: (1) to determine EFL teachers’ willingness and preparedness to deal with foreign cultures in the classroom, (2) to determine whether a significant difference exists between the mean scores of rural and urban teachers with respect to their willingness to deal with foreign cultures, and (3) to investigate the relationship between EFL teachers’ willingness to deal with foreign cultures and their own cultural awareness. Subjects for the study were 200 EFL teachers randomly drawn from secondary school EFL teachers in Menoufia and Qena (100 per governorate). Data for the study were gathered by means of a questionnaire which was designed by the researcher and comprised 30 statements of willingness and preparedness (15 items for each). Statistical analysis of the data was carried out through descriptive statistics, the t-test and Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. Results of the study indicated that: (1) EFL teachers were neither willing nor prepared to deal with foreign cultures in the classroom, (2) there was no statistically significant difference between rural and urban teachers with respect to their willingness to deal with foreign cultures in the classroom, and (3) there was a statistically significant relationship between teachers’ willingness to deal with foreign cultures and their own cultural awareness (r= 0.62, p
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1997
Book, 2020
This revised edition updates and expands on the first edition published in 2016. In this revised ... more This revised edition updates and expands on the first edition published in 2016. In this revised edition, theories of different types of learning strategies are expanded and more recent studies are added. A large amount of tabular information is also reconstructed in a more meaningful manner. The book is divided into five chapters. Chapter one covers the different definitions of learning disabilities to reach a consensus with respect to the meaning of this term. Chapter two discusses learning strategies as a general instructional intervention for students with learning disabilities at the intermediate level and beyond. Each of the other three chapters in this book presents detailed theoretical and experimental information on a specific type of learning strategies and introduces an innovative multiple-strategies model for teaching a specific language skill to those students. Chapter three addresses the teaching of communication strategies to students with oral communication disabilities. Chapter four deals with the teaching of reading strategies to students with comprehension disabilities. The last chapter is concerned with the teaching of writing strategies to students with written expression disabilities. The book also contains a list of references and a subject index.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2004
The aim of this book is to provide a compromise between past and present theories of language tea... more The aim of this book is to provide a compromise between past and present theories of language teaching and learning. The book is organized into six main parts. In the first part, the author highlights the strengths and weaknesses of both the skills-based approach and the whole-language approach. He then presents a theory that emphasizes the strengths of both and shares the weaknesses of neither. Part two consists of six chapters that are devoted to the integration of subsidiary skills with main language skills. Part three consists of four chapters that focus on the integration of main language skills with subsidiary skills. Part four consists of four chapters that are devoted to integrating main language skills with each other. Part five deals with the integration of all language skills through literature. Part six consists of two chapters that address error correction and assessment. In following the above organization, the author aims at building gradually toward whole language, and weaving error correction and assessment into the suggested approach.
Keywords: Language Skills; English Instruction; Teaching Methods; Whole Language Approach; Writing Skills; Vocabulary Development; Spelling; Grammar; Pronunciation; Handwriting; Listening Skills; Punctuation; Speech Skills; Reading Skills; Integrated Activities; Error Correction; Evaluation
Social Science Research Network, 2009
Social Science Research Network, Aug 11, 2016
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1991
Abstract Comparing the Effectiveness of Three Strategies of Teaching Composition: Guided, Free, a... more Abstract Comparing the Effectiveness of Three Strategies of Teaching Composition: Guided, Free, and Guided-free Unpublished PhD dissertation submitted by Abdel Salam Abdel Khalek El-Koumy Problem of the study: The problem of the study lay in the dilemma faced by EFL teachers over the strategy to be followed for teaching written composition. Aim of the study: The study aimed to determine the most effective strategy for teaching written composition to secondary school EFL students by investigating the effectiveness of three strategies: guided, free, and guided-free. Design of the study: The study employed a pre-posttest experimental design. Participants for the study: The participants for the study comprised three experimental groups totaling 96 third-year secondary school students chosen at random from Menouf Secondary School for Boys, Menoufia, Egypt. Each group consisted of thirty-two students. Method and procedure of the study: In light of the previous literature relevant to the study, the researcher developed a composition course in the three forms: (1) guided, (2) free, and (3) guided-free. He also developed a valid and reliable scale for scoring the quality and quantity of written composition. Then, the three experimental groups of the study were randomly assigned to one of the three forms of the composition course. Afterwards, three EFL instructors with the same qualifications and similar teaching experiences were randomly assigned to teaching one of the three forms of the composition course after they were trained to do so. Before conducting the experiment the three experimental groups were pre-tested to measure their performance in free composition writing which is considered by writing specialists as the ultimate goal of composition instruction. The study lasted for fourteen weeks, one session per week, commencing at the beginning of the 1988-1989 academic year. After treatment, the three experimental groups were post-tested to measure their performance in free composition writing. The collected data were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the t-test. Results of the study: The pre-test data analysis revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in free composition writing among the three groups of the study (f=5.57, p= 0.95). However, the post-test data analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in free composition writing among the three groups of the study in favor of the guided-free strategy group (f=34.01, p< 0.05). Students in the guided-free strategy group scored significantly higher than those in the guided strategy group (t= 3.29, p< 0.05) who, in turn, scored significantly higher than those in the free strategy group (t= 4.87, p< 0.05). These findings suggest that the teaching of written composition to third-year secondary school students should be based upon the quality and quantity of writing, not upon either this or that. Conclusion: Within its limitations, the study concluded that the guided-free strategy is the most effective strategy for teaching written composition to secondary school EFL students. Keywords: Composition Instruction, Free Composition, Guided Composition, Guided-free Composition, Responding to Students' Writing, Scale for Scoring Written Composition, Student Writing Performance, Written Composition.
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1997
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1995
The most commonly held view in the 1950s and 1960s was that the mother tongue was the prime or ev... more The most commonly held view in the 1950s and 1960s was that the mother tongue was the prime or even the sole cause of a learner’s problems with the second or foreign language. This view was closely linked to the behaviorist learning theory which sees language learning as a process of habit formation and old habits as obstacles to learning new ones. Yet, in the 1970s a growing body of empirical studies showed that transfer from the mother tongue plays little or no role in second language acquisition and that errors made by second language learners are to a large extent common to learners with different mother tongues. As a result of these findings in addition to the theoretical attacks on the behaviorist learning theory, L1 interference fell into disfavor and the mother tongue is no longer a hindrance to second or foreign language learning. Although Arabic is extensively used in the teaching of English in Egypt, there is a conspicuous absence of investigations of how it can be effectively used in this process. This study, therefore, is an attempt to determine the effect of mixing English and Arabic versus using the two languages separately on EFL listening comprehension. The subjects for the study consisted of 153 2nd year pupils enrolled in four classes attending two preparatory schools in Ismailia governorate. In two classes the mixing approach, in which the teacher read out the listening text in small units translating each unit into the mother tongue, was used. In the other two classes the separation approach, in which the teacher used only Arabic at the beginning and English in the rest of each listening session, was used.Data for the study were collected by means of a listening comprehension test, which was constructed by the researcher to be used as a pre- and post-test. Statistical analysis of the data using the t-test revealed a significant difference between the average mean scores of the two groups in favor of the group exposed to the separation approach (t=2.12, p
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2003
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2004
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1996
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1994
As language and culture are inseparably interwoven native speakers reflect their own culture in t... more As language and culture are inseparably interwoven native speakers reflect their own culture in their speech and writing. For this reason, some language teaching theorists stress the need to teach the target culture to non-native speakers not only because the transmission of this culture breaks down isolation but also gives life and meaning to the foreign language. On the contrary, other language teaching theorists fear that learning the target culture may result in undermining the non-native speakers’ identity or lead to psychological problems such as frustration and feelings of inferiority. This study, therefore, provides the ground on which course designers can make decisions about the inclusion of culture in the EFL curriculum. The purposes of the study were: (1) to determine EFL teachers’ willingness and preparedness to deal with foreign cultures in the classroom, (2) to determine whether a significant difference exists between the mean scores of rural and urban teachers with respect to their willingness to deal with foreign cultures, and (3) to investigate the relationship between EFL teachers’ willingness to deal with foreign cultures and their own cultural awareness. Subjects for the study were 200 EFL teachers randomly drawn from secondary school EFL teachers in Menoufia and Qena (100 per governorate). Data for the study were gathered by means of a questionnaire which was designed by the researcher and comprised 30 statements of willingness and preparedness (15 items for each). Statistical analysis of the data was carried out through descriptive statistics, the t-test and Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. Results of the study indicated that: (1) EFL teachers were neither willing nor prepared to deal with foreign cultures in the classroom, (2) there was no statistically significant difference between rural and urban teachers with respect to their willingness to deal with foreign cultures in the classroom, and (3) there was a statistically significant relationship between teachers’ willingness to deal with foreign cultures and their own cultural awareness (r= 0.62, p
SSRN Electronic Journal, 1997
Book, 2020
This revised edition updates and expands on the first edition published in 2016. In this revised ... more This revised edition updates and expands on the first edition published in 2016. In this revised edition, theories of different types of learning strategies are expanded and more recent studies are added. A large amount of tabular information is also reconstructed in a more meaningful manner. The book is divided into five chapters. Chapter one covers the different definitions of learning disabilities to reach a consensus with respect to the meaning of this term. Chapter two discusses learning strategies as a general instructional intervention for students with learning disabilities at the intermediate level and beyond. Each of the other three chapters in this book presents detailed theoretical and experimental information on a specific type of learning strategies and introduces an innovative multiple-strategies model for teaching a specific language skill to those students. Chapter three addresses the teaching of communication strategies to students with oral communication disabilities. Chapter four deals with the teaching of reading strategies to students with comprehension disabilities. The last chapter is concerned with the teaching of writing strategies to students with written expression disabilities. The book also contains a list of references and a subject index.
This systematic review of available research strategy training in language learning was conducted... more This systematic review of available research strategy training in language learning was conducted by Hassan, X., Macaro, E., Mason, D., Nye, G., Smith, P., and Vanderplank, R. (2005) of the Open University and Oxford University, UK. The aims of the review were to identify and evaluate the primary research on strategy training in order to gather together, present and comment on the strength of evidence about its effectiveness in teaching and learning of languages. The main steps in the process of this review included: extensive searching for reports of studies, application of inclusion and exclusion criteria to references found, production of a descriptive map of included studies, an in-depth review describing and appraising the quality of a subset of the mapped studies, and a synthesis of findings from these studies. At least two reviewers independently carried out each step of the work, and quality assurance was provided by the EPPI-Centre at the Institute of Education, University of London. Application of the criteria for the in-depth review (see section 2.3.1) resulted in 25 of 38 mapped studies being included for in-depth evaluation. See Appendix 4.2 (p. 95) for the weight of evidence components for the 25 studies selected for this in-depth review. Note that I have one among these 25 studies. This study is entitled “Effects of three semantic mapping strategies on EFL students’ reading comprehension. Read the attached download for more details.”
Abu Ghazalah, Iyad Ibrahim Mustafa (2010). The Effect of Using a Comprehensive Approach for Teaching High Frequency Words on Developing the Writing Skill of Seventh Graders. Available at library.iugaza.edu.ps/thesis/90211.pdf , 2010
In this thesis from the Islamic University of Gaza, the researcher (Iyad Ibrahim Mustafa Abu Ghaz... more In this thesis from the Islamic University of Gaza, the researcher (Iyad Ibrahim Mustafa Abu Ghazalah) investigated the effect of the comprehensive approach, I developed in my book, Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language: A Comprehensive Approach, for teaching high frequency words on developing the writing skill of seventh graders. He defines this approach saying, "The comprehensive approach is an approach developed by Dr. Abdel Salam Abdel Khalek El-Koumy, a full professor of TEFL at Suez Canal University, to aid learning English as a foreign language." (p.14)
Read the attached download for more details to see the effect of my approach on the writing skill of EFL seventh graders.
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Nordeen, Nancy Bjorn (2006). Focused Topic Dialogue Journaling in ESL Workplace Instruction. MA Thesis, Hamline University, Saint Paul, Minnesota. Available at www.hamline.edu/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147490907, 2006
In this thesis from Hamline University, which is ranked as the top Minnesota university in its cl... more In this thesis from Hamline University, which is ranked as the top Minnesota university in its class by U.S. News and World Reports, the researcher (Nancy Bjorn Nordeen) took my study, Effect of Dialogue Journal Writing on EFL Students' Speaking Skill, as a model for her own study. She says, "El-Koumy's work provides a model for my own study with workplace ESL learners" (p. 7). She further referred twelve times to my study in her thesis.
Read the attached download for more details to see the effect of my model on ESL adults' speaking skills.
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INCLUD-ED Consortium (2007). Strategies for inclusion and social cohesion in Europe from education, Project 1. Brussels: European Commission., Dec 14, 2007
""In today’s knowledge society, European educators assert that education should play a significan... more ""In today’s knowledge society, European educators assert that education should play a significant role in achieving the European goal of social cohesion to prevent separation among European citizens. The present project—funded under the European Commission’s 6th Framework Programme—suggests educational strategies that contribute to overcome social exclusion of students with learning disabilities and to promote social cohesion among all students, specifically in the areas of reading, math, science, and ICT. Related to the area of reading, the project recommends using the metacognitive strategies I suggested in my paper, Metacognition and Reading Comprehension: Current Trends in Theory and Research, to overcome inequalities and to promote social cohesion among students in reading classes.
Read the pages from 332 to 334 in the attached download.
To Whom It May Concern:
Let's learn from this project how to promote cohesion among all citizens at both school and society levels and to forget all about separation practices because such practices will lead to harmful effects on all. Let's always remember that "Unity is strength," so says a wise old saying.""
Erten, I. H. & Topkaya, E. Z. (2009). Understanding tolerance of ambiguity of EFL learners in reading classes at tertiary level. Novitas-Royal 3(1), 29-44. , 2009
In this study, Erten and Topkaya explored the tolerance of ambiguity of 188 tertiary level EFL l... more In this study, Erten and Topkaya explored the tolerance of ambiguity of 188 tertiary level EFL learners in reading classes at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University. They found that average students had lower tolerance for ambiguity in the process of learning, with female students reporting less tolerance than male ones. Related to their study, the researchers referred to my study, Differences in FL reading comprehension among high-, middle-, and low-ambiguity tolerance students, as "the only study that [they] could identify dealing with ambiguity tolerance and reading comprehension…." (p. 32)
Read the attached download for more details."
Book, 2022
Teaching is a complex profession; and therefore, micro-teaching is needed to scale down its compl... more Teaching is a complex profession; and therefore, micro-teaching is needed to scale down its complexity to train pre-service teachers for future real teaching. However, micro-teaching experiences without reflection are insufficient for building or developing professional teaching skills. Therefore, this book aims at building and developing essential teaching skills through reflective micro-teaching in which teacher trainees, individually and collectively, reflect on their own micro-teaching practices with the assistance of reflection forms in controlled teaching environments. The book consists of three chapters. The first chapter covers the conceptual and theoretical framework of reflective micro-teaching. The second chapter deals with video-mediated microteaching as a stimulus for reflection. The third chapter includes the conceptual and theoretical framework of the core teaching skills and provides reflection forms that help teacher trainees to reflect on their own and one another's micro-teaching practices, for building and developing these core skills. The book contains eight tables and a list of 256 references.
Descriptors:
Classroom Communication, Experiential Learning, Foreign Countries, Feedback, Heterogeneous Grouping, Instructional Objectives, Interaction Analysis, Microteaching, Preservice Teacher Education, Questioning, Reinforcement, Reflective Teaching, Small Group Instruction, Teaching Skills, Video Technology.
This book provides a multifaceted framework in which curricular content and methods of teaching, ... more This book provides a multifaceted framework in which curricular content and methods of teaching, learning, and assessment are all tuned to adequately prepare students at the secondary school level and beyond for building a 21st century Egypt at no added cost, both during and after their formal education. This framework was developed in light of: (a) relationship between language and twenty-first century skills; (b) theoretical and experimental literature on twenty-first century skills and dispositions; (c) needs of Egyptian learners and Egyptian society; (d) constructivist theories of teaching, learning, and assessment; and (e) existing potentials of Egypt without additional cost or support from others. The book consists of four parts. The first part lays the theoretical foundations for the proposed framework. The second part deals with development and assessment of multifaceted curricular content prior to its wide-scale implementation in schools. The third part tackles multifaceted teaching and learning methods. Finally, the fourth part considers multifaceted assessment of both teaching and learning. The book includes nine tables, three figures, a bibliography, and a subject index.
The idea of this book arose out of an awareness that students with language learning disabilities... more The idea of this book arose out of an awareness that students with language learning disabilities are completely ignored in the Egyptian school system and there are no special programs that cater to these students. They are placed in normal schools that are not prepared to deal with their unique difficulties. This book, therefore, is an attempt to provide teachers with multiple-strategies models for teaching English language skills to these students at the intermediate level and beyond. More specifically, this book will help pre-and in-service teachers to: (1) identify effective strategies for learning and using language skills, (2) use multiple-strategies models for teaching language skills, (3) interweave strategies for language learning and language use into regular language activities, and (4) improve both the processes and products of language learning of students with learning disabilities. Thus, the target audience of this book includes pre-and in-service regular teachers, special education teachers, school psychologists, counselors, and administrators.
Unpublished PhD dissertation, 1991
Abstract Comparing the Effectiveness of Three Strategies of Teaching Composition: Guided, Free, a... more Abstract
Comparing the Effectiveness of Three Strategies of Teaching Composition: Guided, Free, and Guided-free
Unpublished PhD dissertation submitted by Abdel Salam Abdel Khalek El-Koumy
Problem of the study: The problem of the study lay in the dilemma faced by EFL teachers over the strategy to be followed for teaching written composition.
Aim of the study: The study aimed to determine the most effective strategy for teaching written composition to secondary school EFL students by investigating the effectiveness of three strategies: guided, free, and guided-free.
Design of the study: The study employed a pre-posttest experimental design.
Participants for the study: The participants for the study comprised three experimental groups totaling 96 third-year secondary school students chosen at random from Menouf Secondary School for Boys, Menoufia, Egypt. Each group consisted of thirty-two students.
Method and procedure of the study: In light of the previous literature relevant to the study, the researcher developed a composition course in the three forms: (1) guided, (2) free, and (3) guided-free. He also developed a valid and reliable scale for scoring the quality and quantity of written composition. Then, the three experimental groups of the study were randomly assigned to one of the three forms of the composition course. Afterwards, three EFL instructors with the same qualifications and similar teaching experiences were randomly assigned to teaching one of the three forms of the composition course after they were trained to do so. Before conducting the experiment the three experimental groups were pre-tested to measure their performance in free composition writing which is considered by writing specialists as the ultimate goal of composition instruction. The study lasted for fourteen weeks, one session per week, commencing at the beginning of the 1988-1989 academic year. After treatment, the three experimental groups were post-tested to measure their performance in free composition writing. The collected data were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the t-test.
Results of the study: The pre-test data analysis revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in free composition writing among the three groups of the study (f=5.57, p= 0.95). However, the post-test data analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in free composition writing among the three groups of the study in favor of the guided-free strategy group (f=34.01, p< 0.05). Students in the guided-free strategy group scored significantly higher than those in the guided strategy group (t= 3.29, p< 0.05) who, in turn, scored significantly higher than those in the free strategy group (t= 4.87, p< 0.05). These findings suggest that the teaching of written composition to third-year secondary school students should be based upon the quality and quantity of writing, not upon either this or that.
Conclusion: Within its limitations, the study concluded that the guided-free strategy is the most effective strategy for teaching written composition to secondary school EFL students.
Keywords: Composition Instruction, Free Composition, Guided Composition, Guided-free Composition, Responding to Students' Writing, Scale for Scoring Written Composition, Student Writing Performance, Written Composition.