# From Struggle to Mastery: AI-Powered Writing Skills in ESL Education
## 4 Method
### Participant Demographics and Context  
This study employed a mixed-methods classroom-based action research design, conducted collaboratively in a bilingual private secondary school located in Colombia. The research was carried out during the second academic semester of 2023 and focused on a single 10 th grade group enrolled in an ESL academic writing course. The sample consisted of 26 male students, aged between 15 and 16 years. Participation in the study was voluntary, and informed consent was obtained from students and their parents or legal guardians prior to data collection. Ethical approval was granted by the school's internal review board. Anonymity and data confidentiality were ensured by assigning coded identifiers to participants and storing the data in a secured, encrypted digital archive accessible only to the research team. One of the researchers served as the teacher for the Global Perspectives course, which the students attended twice a week in 50 min English sessions. This course is part of the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) curriculum and incorporates Project-Based Learning. At the school where the study was conducted, students in the senior grades (10 th and 11 th) were required to submit an annual Individual Report, while using Grammarly and ChatGPT platforms [1], and which was assessed according to Cambridge's guidelines as part of the international testing system, ultimately checked by the Turnitin program. The data collection process for this study relied on multiple instruments, including pre-tests, post-tests, Scoring Rubrics, and Writing Evaluation Forms. These tools were implemented to ensure reliable and validated data for both analysis and comparison within the action research project. At the beginning of the intervention, students completed a pre-test essay based on the prompt \"Do you agree or disagree that having different lives depends on the kind of family support they received during their childhood?\" At the conclusion of the sixth workshop (WS#6), students undertook a post-test to evaluate their writing skills after the intervention, using the prompt \"These days, many people have their own computer and telephone, so it is quite easy for them to do their job at home. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of working at home.\" The data gathered from these tests provided a foundation for assessing progress. The Scoring Rubrics Form, adapted from [PERSON] and [PERSON] [36], offered a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess writing proficiency across multiple dimensions, from basic mechanics to more advanced composition skills [37]. Students were categorized into four proficiency levels--below level, average, intermediate, and advanced--based on their performance. Below-level writers produced simple sentences with frequent errors, while average-level students demonstrated basic control over mechanics and layout. Intermediate writers showed greater detail and some planning, whereas advanced writers excelled in coherence, grammar, and detailed descriptions [16]. Each rubric category was assigned a specific weight, contributing to a grand total score of 70 points, which was converted into the school's scoring range of 1.0 to 7.0. The evaluation criteria included layout (maximum 5 points), mechanics (6 points), content (15 points), organization (15 points), cohesion (12 points), coherence (12 points), and grammar and vocabulary (5 points). For instance, layout required correct margins, spacing, and formatting, while mechanics assessed proper punctuation and capitalization. Content and organization evaluated the ability to construct meaningful and structured paragraphs, supported by evidence and logical flow. Cohesion and coherence ensured connections between ideas and adherence to the prompt, while grammar and vocabulary measured linguistic accuracy and complexity. The Scoring Rubrics Form played a pivotal role in identifying students' strengths and areas for growth.