The Impact of E-Portfolio Integrated Literary Analysis on EFL Learners’ Writing Quality and Attitudes

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of English Language and Literature Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study investigated the causal relationship between the use of e-portfolios integrated with literary analysis and intermediate EFL learners’ writing quality and attitudes. Thirty female learners aged 17–23 at the Iran Language Institute (Mashhad, Iran) were drawn from two intact classes and screened for writing homogeneity using the Cambridge Preliminary English Test (PET) writing task. Over four weeks, the experimental group (n = 15) used Google Sites e-portfolios to upload multiple drafts of two weekly compositions (≥150 words) grounded in literary texts, exchange structured peer feedback, write reflections, and revise in response to instructor comments. The control group (n = 15) completed the same writing tasks under the regular syllabus without portfolios or peer review. Writing performance was measured with a pre-test, an immediate post-test, and a delayed post-test (one month later) using the analytic composition profile developed by Jacobs et al. (1981) with double rating. The experimental participants completed an 18-item attitude questionnaire. Independent-samples comparisons indicated no baseline differences, significant immediate gains for the experimental group, and sustained advantages at delay. The attitudinal findings showed strong endorsement of motivation, collaboration, reflection, and feedback affordances. Overall, the results suggest that e-portfolios facilitate iterative, feedback-driven literary writing cycles that enhance EFL writing and engagement, demonstrating a positive impact of the intervention on the specified variables, with clear implications for classroom practice.

Keywords


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