EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF USING WEBLOG AS A TOOL TO ENHANCE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ WRITING PROFICIENCY IN MALAYSIA

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of weblogs in teaching English writing skills to the secondary school students in Malaysia and to determine the students’ attitude towards the use of weblog in improving their writing abilities. In this study, the researcher interviewed nine Form 2 students who were selected at random and through face-to-face interviews the researcher asked them about their perceptions on the topic. The findings suggest that the use of weblogs enhances students’ writing skills and achieve higher results in grammar, writing structure and the use of the appropriate vocabulary. Students admitted they benefited from the feedback given through weblogs as it assisted them in enhancing their writing and also creativity with a view of writing more. Application of weblog in learning was effective and the feedback and interaction significantly helped in learning. Based on the study, it is possible to use weblogs in teaching English language with a focus on writing with proper support and supervision from the teachers. More studies should be conducted to establish weblog use in education in the long-run.