The Effectiveness of SPAWN Strategy on Improving the Creative Writing Skills Among Tenth Basic-Grade Female Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1602.34Keywords:
SPAWN strategy, creative writing, tenth basic gradeAbstract
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the SPAWN strategy in developing creative writing skills—specifically fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration, among tenth-grade female students in Jordanian public schools. The research sought to answer the primary question: What is the impact of using the SPAWN strategy on enhancing creative writing skills among tenth-grade students compared to traditional methods? To address this, a quasi-experimental approach was adopted, involving two groups: an experimental group (n=25) taught using the SPAWN strategy, and a control group (n=26) taught through conventional instruction. The research instrument was a creative writing test designed to measure the four target skills. After verifying the test’s validity and reliability, pre- and post-tests were administered to both groups, and data were analyzed using ANCOVA to control for pre-test differences. Findings showed statistically significant differences at the (α = 0.05) level in favor of the experimental group, with a large effect size (η² = 0.696), indicating that approximately 69.6% of the improvement in students’ creative writing performance was attributable to the SPAWN strategy. The results confirmed the strategy’s effectiveness in enhancing students’ abilities across all four creative writing dimensions. Based on these findings, it is recommended that Arabic language teachers be trained to apply the SPAWN strategy in classrooms and that it be integrated into teaching guides and national curricula. Future studies are encouraged to explore its impact on other language skills and educational contexts.
References
Aboelsaad, R. A. H. (2024). The effectiveness of SPAWN strategy on developing critical reading skills in the English language for university students. Journal of Studies in Education and Social Sciences, 30(2), 29–50. https://doi.org/10.21608/jsu.2024.368825
Abu Hussein, H. F., Al Jamal, D. A. H., & Sa’d, I. T. (2020). Students’ reflective journals and creative writing in EFL. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(8), 3484–3495. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.080823
Ahıskalı, E. E., & Maltepe, S. (2023). The effect of creative writing activities on pre-service teachers’ narrative text composing skills. Journal of Pedagogical Research, 7(4), 263–274. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPR.202321313
Alhawary, M. T. (2023). Teaching Arabic as a foreign language: Techniques for developing language skills and grammar (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315686677
Ali, L. A., Wadi, A. Z., & Al-Rikabi, A. J. (2024). The effectiveness of the active learning transfer strategy in the achievement of physics among second-year intermediate female students. Journal of Educational and Psychological Researches, 21(82), 273–303. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://jperc.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/jperc/article/view/1861
Alkthery, A. M., & Al-Qiawi, D. A. (2020). The effect of SPAWN strategy in developing persuasive writing skills and productive habits of mind. Arab World English Journal, 11(1), 459–481. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol11no1.31
Alsariera, A. H., & Alsaraireh, M. Y. (2024). Advancing EFL writing proficiency in Jordan: Addressing challenges and embedding progressive strategies. International Journal of Arabic-English Studies, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.33806/ijaes.v24i2.664
Al-Shammari, M., & Al-Rubaie, M. (2022). Evaluating creative writing skills of third secondary students in light of Arabic learning standards [Master’s thesis, Qassim University]. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.21608/jasep.2022.247382
Amer, J., & Duraid, S. (2023). The effect of SPAWN strategy on the achievement of chemistry among the second grade intermediate students. Journal of Namibian Studies: History Politics Culture, 33, 458. https://doi.org/10.59670/jns.v33i.458
Asmiati. (2013). The effect of using SPAWN (Special Powers, Problem Solving, Alternative Viewpoints, What If, and Next) strategy toward students’ ability in writing narrative paragraph at the second year of SMAN 1 Batu Hampar Rohil Regency [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from http://repository.uin-suska.ac.id/10112/
Bereiter, C., & Scardamalia, M. (2013). The psychology of written composition. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203812310
Brozo, W. G. (2017). Disciplinary and content literacy for today’s adolescents: Honoring diversity and building competence. Guilford Publications. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://www.guilford.com/books/Disciplinary-and-Content-Literacy-for-Todays-Adolescents/William-Brozo/9781462530083?srsltid=AfmBOorxKFrabIWwuGqeD8Ad2h7GPWyZJ0hyfkRldjdlBTfB9oYGBwc8
Clifton, G. (2022). Critical-creative literacy and creative writing pedagogy. University of Toronto Quarterly, 91(1), 58–77. https://doi.org/10.3138/utq.91.1.04
D’Souza, R. (2021). What characterises creativity in narrative writing, and how do we assess it? Research findings from a systematic literature search. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 42, 100949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2021.100949
Elbow, P. (1998). Writing with power: Techniques for mastering the writing process. Oxford University Press. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://global.oup.com/ushe/product/writing-with-power-9780195120189?cc=jo&lang=en&
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2007). 50 instructional routines to develop content literacy (2nd ed.). Pearson. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://www.pearson.com/en-us/subject-catalog/p/50-instructional-routines-to-develop-content-literacy/P200000001031/9780137549290
Hassanien, E. A. (2018). Functional writing skills. Researcher, 10(4), 34–41. https://doi.org/10.7537/marsrsj100418.05
Holsti, O. R. (1969). Content analysis for the social sciences and humanities. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://books.google.jo/books/about/Content_Analysis_for_the_Social_Sciences.html?id=IMpCAAAAIAAJ&redir_esc=y
Kaufman, J. C., & Beghetto, R. A. (2009). Beyond big and little: The Four C model of creativity. Review of General Psychology, 13(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013688
Konopka, C. L., Adaime, M. B., & Mosele, P. H. (2015). Active teaching and learning methodologies: Some considerations. Creative Education, 6(14), 1536–1545. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2015.614154
Kuo, H.-C., Chang, C.-Y., Wang, J.-P., Wu, E. L., & Li, P.-L. (2024). Creating my own story: Improving children’s creative thinking and composition creativity through a three-staged individual-group-individual story writing framework. Cognitive Development, 72, Article 101513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2024.101513
Malanog, S. D., & Aliazas, J. V. C. (2021). Active learning strategies and higher-order thinking skills of grade 10 students. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5594703
Razgatlıoğlu, M., & Ulusoy, M. (2022). The effect of activity-based poetry studies on reading fluency and creative writing skills. International Journal of Progressive Education, 18(3), 226–243. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2022.439.15
Runco, M. A., & Jaeger, G. J. (2012). The standard definition of creativity. Creativity Research Journal, 24(1), 92–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.650092
Sawyer, R. K. (2006). Explaining creativity: The science of human innovation. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195161649.001.0001
Sendag, S., Erol, O., Sezgin, S., & Dulkadir, N. (2015). Preservice teachers’ critical thinking dispositions and Web 2.0 competencies. Contemporary Educational Technology, 6(3), 172–187. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/6148
Suraworachet, W., Zhou, Q., & Cukurova, M. (2023). Impact of combining human and analytics feedback on students’ engagement with, and performance in, reflective writing tasks. Computers & Education, 188, 104607. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-022-00368-0
Vandermeulen, N., Lindgren, E., Waldmann, C., & Levlin, M. (2024). Getting a grip on the writing process: (Effective) approaches to write argumentative and narrative texts in L1 and L2. Journal of Second Language Writing, 65, Article 101113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2024.101113
Vicol, M. I. (2024). A quasi-experimental study on the development of creative writing skills in fourth-grade students. Education Sciences, 14(1), 91. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14010091
Wilhelm, J. D. (2001). Improving comprehension with think-aloud strategies. Teaching Resources. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/fac_monographs/226
Zwiers, J. (2004). Building reading comprehension habits in grades 6–12: A toolkit of classroom activities. International Reading Association. Retrieved September 22, 2025, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED488972