# The Effects of Story Mapping and Hortatory Exposition Techniques on Students’ Compositions

Authors: Ali Sabah Jameel
Journal: Education Research International
 (2022)

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## Abstract

This study is aimed at investigating the following: First, the effects of the story mapping and the hortatory exposition techniques on students’ composition writing; second, EFL students’ attitudes towards writing in English; and lastly, the correlation between such attitudes and students’ writing achievements. The participants were 60 (33 male and 27 female) students from the 4th year of the Department of English, College of Arts, University of Anbar, Iraq, who were divided into a control group and an experimental group. The experiment was conducted during the second semester of the academic year 2020–2021. A pretest, a posttest, a preattitudinal questionnaire, and a postattitudinal questionnaire were used to collect the data. The results revealed that the mean scores of the students in the experimental group were higher than that of the students in the control group, indicating a significant positive effect of the use of the story mapping and the hortatory exposition techniques in teaching writing. Additionally, the results of the postquestionnaire revealed that the students developed positive attitudes towards writing in English, which were negative before the implementation of the experiment. Finally, the results revealed a correlation between students’ attitudes towards writing in English and their achievements such that as the attitudes improve, the achievements increase half as much.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

The researcher notices that teaching English as a foreign language shows that writing in English is a challenge for Iraqi EFL students, as it requires a good knowledge of vocabulary, grammar rules, sentence structure, punctuation, articles, paragraph-writing techniques, and the functions of coherence and cohesion devices. Iraqi students learn English as a foreign language, and those enrolling in the Department of English at the faculties of Languages, Arts, and Education for Humanities consider writing skills to be challenging. Thus, they need to be equipped with techniques and strategies that will help them to overcome any related anxiety. Students in the 4th year of study were asked the open question ‘What is the most important skill that you need to develop?’ using Google Forms. From their replies, 87% of the students needed to develop writing skills.The researcher reviewed the literature and previous experimental studies concerning the teaching of English writing skills to foreign students and learners, such as Allo et al. [1], Annisa and Oktavia [2], Coleman [3], Dewi and Ayunisa [4], Hanafiawi et al. [5], Jayanti [6], Khumairo [7], Latifah and Rahmawati [8], Pat and Gail [9], Chintya [10], Lestari and Wahyuni [11], Bala [12], and Clark [13], finding that the most useful method included the use of the ‘cluster diagram technique,’ especially the ‘story mapping technique.’To foster students’ writing quality, the use of ‘writing hortatory exposition text’ is also suggested. Learning writing skills and gaining marks by learning via a specific strategy is not enough to ensure that students have mastered writing skills, for which it is recommended that their attitudes towards writing in English be investigated. As the participants are fourth year students in the Department of English, it indicates that they have good English language background and that using the cluster diagram technique will not be sufficient for creative writing. It is necessary to integrate this technique with one that trains students to compose text that has value, consists a scientific style reflecting the writer’s point of view which gives the readers suggestions and recommendations, and benefits the readers’ interests. Thus, this study tries to investigate the relationship between the ‘story mapping technique’ and students’ performances in writing hortatory exposition composition, along with their attitudes towards writing in the English language.


## 2. Aims of the Study

This study is aimed at revealing the relationship between the story mapping technique and students’ performances in writing hortatory exposition composition, while also examining the influence of this technique on students’ attitudes towards writing in the English language.


### 2.1. Significance of the Study

This study derives its significance from highlighting the characteristics of the story mapping technique in developing students’ performances in general writing and in writing hortatory exposition compositions, which is aimed at solving a problem or arguing about a phenomenon by providing solutions, suggestions, and recommendations. It also hopes to establish an influence of this technique on students’ attitudes towards all such writing. The findings of this study could provide EFL instructors and teachers with insight into learners’ learning styles, the factors that motivate them to be good writers, and the activities that make writing both useful and interesting.


### 2.2. Definition of Basic Terms

#### 2.2.1. Story Mapping Technique

A technique of arranging ideas and events in an order that provides a better picture of their placement into the overall experience of the writer. It is a diagram that helps students to write a story free from intervention and ambiguity [14].


#### 2.2.2. Student Performance

Students’ outcome after exposure to a specific instructional program, widely referring to their successful achievement of educational goals [15].


#### 2.2.3. Writing Hortatory Exposition Composition

An instruction method, employed through spoken or written language, is used to instruct students on what should and should not happen or be done, while also training them to express their opinions and suggestions regarding a specific problem [16].


### 2.3. Literature Review

Writing skills are the last and most important link with listening, speaking, and reading skills, revealing an individual’s development and place in society. Thus, support through activities such as creative writing can provide many benefits to individual development, not only in school education but also in all sectors of society. Achieving this level of independent and creative writing can only be possible with targeted systematic and regular studies [17]. Several studies have found that EFL students show poor writing performance, requiring alternative (not traditional) forms of feedback and assessment [18].There are different types of written texts, with each being an example of a genre of the written form. In a pedagogical context, the most common writing types that students are exposed to are nonfiction (such as essays, compositions, and articles), letters (personal, business, and trade), messages, academic writing (short answer tests, reports, papers, chapters in a book, etc.), fiction (novels, poetry, short stories, and drama), labels, greeting cards, and forms or applications [19].The researcher believes that writing skills are a matter of learning and not of acquisition. A learner needs to take appropriate steps to learn how to write. Thus, teaching writing skills is important in a foreign language course. Harmer [20] states that teaching writing skills embodies three purposes (to inform, to persuade, and to entertain) that concern learners of English as a foreign language.The nature of writing is that it is based on the combination of a product and a process, which can guide foreign language learners to express feelings, thoughts, and ideas in a written form. Thus, the product mechanism is based on the process steps, leading to the production of high-quality written pieces [21].The idiom ‘composition’ was derived from to original Latin idiom ‘compose’ which referred “to put together.” So, to put words and sentences together is called ‘composing.’ There is much meaning that refers to ‘compose,’ such as organizing, constructing, forming, gathering information together, set-type, etc. To compose an idea in a paragraph needs to generate a central idea and support it with subordinate ideas to express a clear idea (Shaik [22], Koehler [23], and Rajamankam [24].The prewriting phase fosters the production of ideas, which can occur in a variety of ways: reading (in-depth) a passage, skimming and/or scanning a passage, conducting outside research, brainstorming, list-making (individually), clustering (starting with a key word and then adding other words using free association), discussing a topic or instructor-initiated questions and probes, and free-writing [25].The drafting and revision phases are central to the writing process. To make writing easy and smooth, it is better to begin with free-writing, practice peer review, then correct grammatical errors, followed by the technique of ‘reading aloud’ (students read their nearly-final versions to each other in small groups or pairs for a final check on errors, flow of ideas, and so on), and finally, proofreading [26]. To achieve this, clustering and mapping techniques are recommended.Naghdipour [27], Rosario et al. [28], Okari [29], Evans [30], Evans and Gray [31], and North [32] wrote about two types of composition, namely, controlled or guided composition and free or creative composition, the latter is the concern of this study, to write a free composition with the aid of story mapping and writing hortatory exposition techniques.This study allows the learners to use many kinds of composition and styles: the descriptive, the narrative, the dialogue, the exposition, and even writing a letter or public speech.Writing a composition needs to use some essential mechanisms (requirements). These requirements have been emphasized by Chen [33], Higgins et al. [34], Johns [35], Khodjaniyazeva [36], Man [37], Sundeen [38], Shen [39], Shin [40], and Wiederkehr and von Rohr [41] who referred that mastery of language system, mastery of written mechanics, dictation, capitalization, and punctuation. Koehler [23] raised a point of discussion about how students should write, and the quality of students’ writing in his statement “I want writing to be exciting, risky, strange, dull, safe, conventional texts put me and my students to sleep” (p.15). The aim of this study is consistent with Koehler’s statement. To make writing exciting, the writer needs to use a strategy that enables him/her to generate ideas to write a text smoothly, and the proposed strategy or tool in this study is the “story mapping” technique. Also, to encourage students to take a calculated risk and write a strange text that provides the readers with the writer’s suggestion and recommendation the ‘hortatory exposition technique’ was used.Teaching students to write traditional text to a virtual audience, or writing a descriptive essay limited their scopes and knowledge, their writing will be free from discourse and they will miss the opportunity to show their voice. To have a role in developing students’ writing several writing strategies and techniques have to be involved as suggested by Van Drie et al. [42], Murladho [43], Kuyyogsuy [44], Fu et al. [45], Lamb and Parrott [46], Cope et al. [47], Durga and Rao [48], and Culham [49]. To help EFL students to write an authentic text without imitating it is advised to use one of the graphic organizer techniques which help in generating authentic ideas that emerge from EFL student’s previous knowledge. The most graphic organizer used in investigating its effect on EFL students’ writing development is the mind-mapping technique. Recently, Suprayogi et al. [50], Indrawati [51], Usman et al. [52], Fu et al. [45], Latifah [53], Cope et al. [47], Berendsen et al. [54], Ynda et al. [55], Yuliana [56], Chavez et al. [57], Boon et al. [58], and Johana [59] investigated the effect, the role, the significance of story mapping in developing, improving, and promoting EFL students’ writing skills and abilities in writing all kinds of composition and essay (narrative, descriptive argumentative, expository, cause and effect, and analytical). The selection of the mind mapping technique in this study was based on its positive significance on students’ writing performance.


### 2.4. EFL Teachers and Graphic Organizers

EFL teachers can use graphic organizers to demonstrate and explain linkages between content and subcontent, as well as their relations to other topics. Students, on the other hand, can create more abstract comparisons, assessments, and conclusions using the organizers. In a nutshell, graphic organizers enable students to take an active role in their education. Specific advantages to students and instructors are provided in the following organizer for simple comprehension [60].Using graphic organizers in teaching hortatory exposition text has been investigated recently (Inayah [61], Yanwar [62], Amri [63], and Nazilah [64] studies reveal the positive hidden influence of the technique on students’ writing performance in the EFL students were able to express their ideas and their language existed in the written texts. They were able to shift their thoughts in a written text.


### 2.5. Story Mapping

A story map graphic organizer is an educational tool that helps students to organize their ideas when writing a story, based on five WH-questions: who, what, when, where, and why. Allo et al. [1] stated that EFL students have issues in writing short stories or narrative essays, because they face difficulties in generating ideas. Further, they join the ideas with poor levels of grammar, leading to poor quality writing. Thus, it is recommended that the story mapping diagram be used, to help EFL students generate ideas and connect the elements in an organized manner.Shaik [22], Indrawati [51], Amri [63], and Nazilah [64] studies show that prewriting phase is the most important phase to begin writing a composition or a text. Whatever is the tool or the technique the writers/students use, it should lead to generate ideas that help to write well organized text. Story mapping as a tool of graphic organizer it helps in visualizing the characters and the events of a story. Drawing a sketch will help the writer to organize the plot of the story; it aids to write the elements of the story in a smooth, cohesion, and coherent way.


### 2.6. Writing Hortatory Exposition Composition

This type of composition requires the writer to be creative, to write supportive statements, and to provide evidence to convince the readers by ending writing tasks with suggestions and recommendations. It is not a simple description or story of an event; it involves writing on an important topic with a clear statement, supporting it with arguments, and ending with recommendations and suggestions. While the analytical and hortatory expositions may overlap, the distinction is based on the concept of ‘generic structure.’ The last paragraph of an analytical exposition is referred to as a reiteration, whereas the last paragraph of a hortatory exposition is referred to as a recommendation and/or suggestion. However, their functions are completely different. The writer’s point of view is reinforced in the ‘analytical exposition’ via reiteration and restatement of the views. In ‘hortatory exposition,’ suggestions and/or recommendations are used, so that the reader can come to a decision after considering the reasons provided. In short, the purpose of a hortatory exposition text is to argue for or against a particular case or point of view, with a suggestion/recommendation at the end. Some examples are editorials, letters to the editor, and letters to politicians [65]. Husein and Pulungan [66] set a basic structure of writing a hortatory exposition composition, containing an introductory statement and a series of arguments, using simple present tenses, conjunctions, abstract nouns, action verbs, connectives, and recommendations.


### 2.7. Students’ Attitudes towards Writing

The researcher believes that it is important to elicit students’ needs before conducting any experimental study. Revealing students’ attitudes can help to develop their language skills and behaviors. It can be easily measured by designing or building an attitudinal questionnaire or via interviews.Al-Khayyat [67] mentioned that mind mapping and clustering techniques have positively developed students’ attitudes towards writing in English. Also, using technology in teaching writing skills has a significant effect on such attitudes.Smidt et al. [68] stated that there are internal and external factors that influence students’ attitudes; these factors need to be considered and researchers need to be aware of them.


### 2.8. Previous Studies

Usman et al. [69] investigated the impact of the story mapping technique on students’ writing skills. The participants were 64 students of Grade X of SMK Negeri 3 Palu who were divided into two (experimental and control) groups. A pretest and a posttest were used to collect the data. The results revealed that there was a significant effect of the story mapping technique on the writing skills of the students in the experimental group.Allo et al. [1] investigated the effect of the story mapping technique on students’ abilities of writing a text in English (a recount text). The participants were 60 students of the first year of SMAN 1 Palopo, who were divided into two (experimental and control) groups. A pretest and a posttest were used to collect the data. The results revealed that the use of the story mapping technique was effective in teaching the writing of a recount text and that the students developed better recount writing abilities.Cenderato [65] investigated the effect of guided Wh-questions on the students’ hortatory exposition writing skills. The participants were 60 intermediate students who were divided into two (experimental and control) groups. A pretest and a posttest were used to collect the data. The results revealed that using guided Wh-questions had a significant effect on the hortatory exposition writing skills of the students in the experimental group.Akhtar et al. [70] investigated the effects of students’ attitudes on academic writing, related apprehensions, and challenges of academic writing. The participants were 27 students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). A Writing Apprehensions Test (WAT) and a questionnaire were used to collect the data. The results revealed that the students had negative attitudes towards academic writing. Additionally, they were aware of the significance of writing in the English language.Tavsanli et al. [71] investigated the effect of a ‘process-based writing modular instructional program,’ with the aid of graphic organizers, on students’ composition skills and their attitudes towards writing skills. The participants were 40 students in their second year who were divided into two (experimental and control) groups. A written achievement test and an attitudinal questionnaire were used to collect the data. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in writing achievements, in favor of the students in the experimental group. Additionally, students had negative attitudes towards writing.


### 2.9. Hypothesis

To verify the aims of this study, the following hypotheses were proposed: There is a statistically significant difference (α=0.05) between the mean scores of the students in the experimental group and that of the students in the control group, due to the teaching methods.There is a statistically significant difference (α=0.05) in the mean scores of the students’ attitudes towards writing in English.There is a significant correlation between students’ attitudes and achievements.


## 2.1. Significance of the Study

This study derives its significance from highlighting the characteristics of the story mapping technique in developing students’ performances in general writing and in writing hortatory exposition compositions, which is aimed at solving a problem or arguing about a phenomenon by providing solutions, suggestions, and recommendations. It also hopes to establish an influence of this technique on students’ attitudes towards all such writing. The findings of this study could provide EFL instructors and teachers with insight into learners’ learning styles, the factors that motivate them to be good writers, and the activities that make writing both useful and interesting.


## 2.2. Definition of Basic Terms

### 2.2.1. Story Mapping Technique

A technique of arranging ideas and events in an order that provides a better picture of their placement into the overall experience of the writer. It is a diagram that helps students to write a story free from intervention and ambiguity [14].


### 2.2.2. Student Performance

Students’ outcome after exposure to a specific instructional program, widely referring to their successful achievement of educational goals [15].


### 2.2.3. Writing Hortatory Exposition Composition

An instruction method, employed through spoken or written language, is used to instruct students on what should and should not happen or be done, while also training them to express their opinions and suggestions regarding a specific problem [16].


## 2.2.1. Story Mapping Technique

A technique of arranging ideas and events in an order that provides a better picture of their placement into the overall experience of the writer. It is a diagram that helps students to write a story free from intervention and ambiguity [14].


## 2.2.2. Student Performance

Students’ outcome after exposure to a specific instructional program, widely referring to their successful achievement of educational goals [15].


## 2.2.3. Writing Hortatory Exposition Composition

An instruction method, employed through spoken or written language, is used to instruct students on what should and should not happen or be done, while also training them to express their opinions and suggestions regarding a specific problem [16].


## 2.3. Literature Review

Writing skills are the last and most important link with listening, speaking, and reading skills, revealing an individual’s development and place in society. Thus, support through activities such as creative writing can provide many benefits to individual development, not only in school education but also in all sectors of society. Achieving this level of independent and creative writing can only be possible with targeted systematic and regular studies [17]. Several studies have found that EFL students show poor writing performance, requiring alternative (not traditional) forms of feedback and assessment [18].There are different types of written texts, with each being an example of a genre of the written form. In a pedagogical context, the most common writing types that students are exposed to are nonfiction (such as essays, compositions, and articles), letters (personal, business, and trade), messages, academic writing (short answer tests, reports, papers, chapters in a book, etc.), fiction (novels, poetry, short stories, and drama), labels, greeting cards, and forms or applications [19].The researcher believes that writing skills are a matter of learning and not of acquisition. A learner needs to take appropriate steps to learn how to write. Thus, teaching writing skills is important in a foreign language course. Harmer [20] states that teaching writing skills embodies three purposes (to inform, to persuade, and to entertain) that concern learners of English as a foreign language.The nature of writing is that it is based on the combination of a product and a process, which can guide foreign language learners to express feelings, thoughts, and ideas in a written form. Thus, the product mechanism is based on the process steps, leading to the production of high-quality written pieces [21].The idiom ‘composition’ was derived from to original Latin idiom ‘compose’ which referred “to put together.” So, to put words and sentences together is called ‘composing.’ There is much meaning that refers to ‘compose,’ such as organizing, constructing, forming, gathering information together, set-type, etc. To compose an idea in a paragraph needs to generate a central idea and support it with subordinate ideas to express a clear idea (Shaik [22], Koehler [23], and Rajamankam [24].The prewriting phase fosters the production of ideas, which can occur in a variety of ways: reading (in-depth) a passage, skimming and/or scanning a passage, conducting outside research, brainstorming, list-making (individually), clustering (starting with a key word and then adding other words using free association), discussing a topic or instructor-initiated questions and probes, and free-writing [25].The drafting and revision phases are central to the writing process. To make writing easy and smooth, it is better to begin with free-writing, practice peer review, then correct grammatical errors, followed by the technique of ‘reading aloud’ (students read their nearly-final versions to each other in small groups or pairs for a final check on errors, flow of ideas, and so on), and finally, proofreading [26]. To achieve this, clustering and mapping techniques are recommended.Naghdipour [27], Rosario et al. [28], Okari [29], Evans [30], Evans and Gray [31], and North [32] wrote about two types of composition, namely, controlled or guided composition and free or creative composition, the latter is the concern of this study, to write a free composition with the aid of story mapping and writing hortatory exposition techniques.This study allows the learners to use many kinds of composition and styles: the descriptive, the narrative, the dialogue, the exposition, and even writing a letter or public speech.Writing a composition needs to use some essential mechanisms (requirements). These requirements have been emphasized by Chen [33], Higgins et al. [34], Johns [35], Khodjaniyazeva [36], Man [37], Sundeen [38], Shen [39], Shin [40], and Wiederkehr and von Rohr [41] who referred that mastery of language system, mastery of written mechanics, dictation, capitalization, and punctuation. Koehler [23] raised a point of discussion about how students should write, and the quality of students’ writing in his statement “I want writing to be exciting, risky, strange, dull, safe, conventional texts put me and my students to sleep” (p.15). The aim of this study is consistent with Koehler’s statement. To make writing exciting, the writer needs to use a strategy that enables him/her to generate ideas to write a text smoothly, and the proposed strategy or tool in this study is the “story mapping” technique. Also, to encourage students to take a calculated risk and write a strange text that provides the readers with the writer’s suggestion and recommendation the ‘hortatory exposition technique’ was used.Teaching students to write traditional text to a virtual audience, or writing a descriptive essay limited their scopes and knowledge, their writing will be free from discourse and they will miss the opportunity to show their voice. To have a role in developing students’ writing several writing strategies and techniques have to be involved as suggested by Van Drie et al. [42], Murladho [43], Kuyyogsuy [44], Fu et al. [45], Lamb and Parrott [46], Cope et al. [47], Durga and Rao [48], and Culham [49]. To help EFL students to write an authentic text without imitating it is advised to use one of the graphic organizer techniques which help in generating authentic ideas that emerge from EFL student’s previous knowledge. The most graphic organizer used in investigating its effect on EFL students’ writing development is the mind-mapping technique. Recently, Suprayogi et al. [50], Indrawati [51], Usman et al. [52], Fu et al. [45], Latifah [53], Cope et al. [47], Berendsen et al. [54], Ynda et al. [55], Yuliana [56], Chavez et al. [57], Boon et al. [58], and Johana [59] investigated the effect, the role, the significance of story mapping in developing, improving, and promoting EFL students’ writing skills and abilities in writing all kinds of composition and essay (narrative, descriptive argumentative, expository, cause and effect, and analytical). The selection of the mind mapping technique in this study was based on its positive significance on students’ writing performance.


## 2.4. EFL Teachers and Graphic Organizers

EFL teachers can use graphic organizers to demonstrate and explain linkages between content and subcontent, as well as their relations to other topics. Students, on the other hand, can create more abstract comparisons, assessments, and conclusions using the organizers. In a nutshell, graphic organizers enable students to take an active role in their education. Specific advantages to students and instructors are provided in the following organizer for simple comprehension [60].Using graphic organizers in teaching hortatory exposition text has been investigated recently (Inayah [61], Yanwar [62], Amri [63], and Nazilah [64] studies reveal the positive hidden influence of the technique on students’ writing performance in the EFL students were able to express their ideas and their language existed in the written texts. They were able to shift their thoughts in a written text.


## 2.5. Story Mapping

A story map graphic organizer is an educational tool that helps students to organize their ideas when writing a story, based on five WH-questions: who, what, when, where, and why. Allo et al. [1] stated that EFL students have issues in writing short stories or narrative essays, because they face difficulties in generating ideas. Further, they join the ideas with poor levels of grammar, leading to poor quality writing. Thus, it is recommended that the story mapping diagram be used, to help EFL students generate ideas and connect the elements in an organized manner.Shaik [22], Indrawati [51], Amri [63], and Nazilah [64] studies show that prewriting phase is the most important phase to begin writing a composition or a text. Whatever is the tool or the technique the writers/students use, it should lead to generate ideas that help to write well organized text. Story mapping as a tool of graphic organizer it helps in visualizing the characters and the events of a story. Drawing a sketch will help the writer to organize the plot of the story; it aids to write the elements of the story in a smooth, cohesion, and coherent way.


## 2.6. Writing Hortatory Exposition Composition

This type of composition requires the writer to be creative, to write supportive statements, and to provide evidence to convince the readers by ending writing tasks with suggestions and recommendations. It is not a simple description or story of an event; it involves writing on an important topic with a clear statement, supporting it with arguments, and ending with recommendations and suggestions. While the analytical and hortatory expositions may overlap, the distinction is based on the concept of ‘generic structure.’ The last paragraph of an analytical exposition is referred to as a reiteration, whereas the last paragraph of a hortatory exposition is referred to as a recommendation and/or suggestion. However, their functions are completely different. The writer’s point of view is reinforced in the ‘analytical exposition’ via reiteration and restatement of the views. In ‘hortatory exposition,’ suggestions and/or recommendations are used, so that the reader can come to a decision after considering the reasons provided. In short, the purpose of a hortatory exposition text is to argue for or against a particular case or point of view, with a suggestion/recommendation at the end. Some examples are editorials, letters to the editor, and letters to politicians [65]. Husein and Pulungan [66] set a basic structure of writing a hortatory exposition composition, containing an introductory statement and a series of arguments, using simple present tenses, conjunctions, abstract nouns, action verbs, connectives, and recommendations.


## 2.7. Students’ Attitudes towards Writing

The researcher believes that it is important to elicit students’ needs before conducting any experimental study. Revealing students’ attitudes can help to develop their language skills and behaviors. It can be easily measured by designing or building an attitudinal questionnaire or via interviews.Al-Khayyat [67] mentioned that mind mapping and clustering techniques have positively developed students’ attitudes towards writing in English. Also, using technology in teaching writing skills has a significant effect on such attitudes.Smidt et al. [68] stated that there are internal and external factors that influence students’ attitudes; these factors need to be considered and researchers need to be aware of them.


## 2.8. Previous Studies

Usman et al. [69] investigated the impact of the story mapping technique on students’ writing skills. The participants were 64 students of Grade X of SMK Negeri 3 Palu who were divided into two (experimental and control) groups. A pretest and a posttest were used to collect the data. The results revealed that there was a significant effect of the story mapping technique on the writing skills of the students in the experimental group.Allo et al. [1] investigated the effect of the story mapping technique on students’ abilities of writing a text in English (a recount text). The participants were 60 students of the first year of SMAN 1 Palopo, who were divided into two (experimental and control) groups. A pretest and a posttest were used to collect the data. The results revealed that the use of the story mapping technique was effective in teaching the writing of a recount text and that the students developed better recount writing abilities.Cenderato [65] investigated the effect of guided Wh-questions on the students’ hortatory exposition writing skills. The participants were 60 intermediate students who were divided into two (experimental and control) groups. A pretest and a posttest were used to collect the data. The results revealed that using guided Wh-questions had a significant effect on the hortatory exposition writing skills of the students in the experimental group.Akhtar et al. [70] investigated the effects of students’ attitudes on academic writing, related apprehensions, and challenges of academic writing. The participants were 27 students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). A Writing Apprehensions Test (WAT) and a questionnaire were used to collect the data. The results revealed that the students had negative attitudes towards academic writing. Additionally, they were aware of the significance of writing in the English language.Tavsanli et al. [71] investigated the effect of a ‘process-based writing modular instructional program,’ with the aid of graphic organizers, on students’ composition skills and their attitudes towards writing skills. The participants were 40 students in their second year who were divided into two (experimental and control) groups. A written achievement test and an attitudinal questionnaire were used to collect the data. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in writing achievements, in favor of the students in the experimental group. Additionally, students had negative attitudes towards writing.


## 2.9. Hypothesis

To verify the aims of this study, the following hypotheses were proposed: There is a statistically significant difference (α=0.05) between the mean scores of the students in the experimental group and that of the students in the control group, due to the teaching methods.There is a statistically significant difference (α=0.05) in the mean scores of the students’ attitudes towards writing in English.There is a significant correlation between students’ attitudes and achievements.


## 3. Materials and Methods

### 3.1. Study Participants

The participants of this study were 60 (33 male and 27 female) students in the 4th year of study in the Department of English, College of Arts, University of Anbar, Iraq. All study participants provided informed consent. The researcher obtained their informed consent orally before conducting the study (asking each student individually). The study excluded the students who did not agree to participate and counted them with the control group students (who received education without exposure to the experiment). The students decided to join after they were sure that all the information would be private and would be used only for the sake of the study, and the results of the experiment do not have any negative influence on them. Further, the appropriate ethics review board (professors specializing in methodology, translation, applied linguistics, and linguistics) approved the study design.The study was conducted during the second semester of the academic year 2020–2021. The researcher randomly divided the participants based on the list of their names into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. The students with odd numbers on the list were put in the control group, while those with even numbers were put in the experimental group, as shown in Table1.Table 1
Distribution of students in the control and the experimental groups.
GroupMaleFemaleTotalControl141832Experimental19928Total332760


### 3.2. Variables of the Study

This study investigated the following variables:(1)
The independent variables were the use of the story mapping technique and the writing hortatory exposition text. A pre- and a postattitudinal questionnaire also came under this(2)
The dependent variables were the students’ achievements on the posttest and their attitudes towards writing


### 3.3. Instruments

To collect the data, a pretest, a posttest, and an attitudinal questionnaire were designed. The pretest was designed to ensure the equalization of both the groups, while the posttest was designed to reveal the effect of the experiment. The attitudinal questionnaire was distributed twice, once before conducting the experiment and then after conducting the experiment, to reveal students’ attitudes towards creating compositions in English, as well as the impact of the teaching techniques on students’ attitudes.


### 3.4. Procedures

To verify the hypotheses and achieve the aims of the study, the following procedures were observed:(1)
The participants were taught via online learning (Google Meet) due to the COVID-19 pandemic(2)
An open question was distributed via Google Forms to the participants to reveal the skill that they needed to develop(3)
The responses were analyzed, revealing that they needed to develop writing skills, especially for writing stories, essays, and compositions in a creative way, while avoiding a simple writing style. Basically, they needed to write in a way that would encourage readers to read(4)
The literature and the most recent studies were reviewed, including studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine(5)
The teaching techniques were selected, and the measurement instruments were designed(6)
A pretest, a posttest, and a questionnaire were designed. The posttest scoring scheme was then built, as shown in Table2(7)
The reliability and validity of the research instruments were measured(8)
The participants were divided into three groups: pilot, control, and experimental (the pilot group had 12 students from the College of Education for Women and 6 students from the College of Education for Humanities).(9)
The control and experimental groups were equalized by the pretest. Table3 shows the result of the pretestTable 2
Scoring scheme of the posttest.
CriteriaQualityScoringPunctuation and spelling10GrammarExcellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1IdeasExcellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1VocabularyExcellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1CohesionExcellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1CoherenceExcellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1Solution (suggestions, advice, points of view, and/or recommendations)Excellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1Total100Table 3
The mean scores, standard deviations, andt values of the two groups on the pretest.
GroupNo. of studentsMean scoresSDt valuesdfLevel of significanceCalculatedTabulatedEG.2847.4611.100.772.00580.05CG.3252.539.61Table3 shows that there is no significant difference between the achievements of the groups. The calculated t value is lower than the tabulated t value.
(10)
An instructional writing program was designed based on the story mapping and writing hortatory exposition techniques which included 10 lessons. The first five lessons were on teaching writing via these two techniques, and each lesson was 120 minutes long. The program was judged by specialists in order to ensure its validity and reliability(11)
Various questions related to writing skills were shared with both the groups via Google Forms to extract the items of the questionnaire(12)
The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were ensured(13)
The questionnaire was distributed to a pilot sample consisting of 18 male and female students to ensure the suitability of the items, reveal their ambiguity, measure their discrimination power, evaluate the clarity, and to know the required average response time(14)
The pilot test was conducted on the pilot sample(15)
At the beginning of the first day of the experiment, the researcher met the participants of both the groups online via Google Meet and shared the questionnaire with them, explaining its aim and giving an example to avoid any ambiguity in the responses. Both groups then took the online pre-test(16)
The first lesson with the experimental group took 3 hours of explanation and discussions. Thus, the actual implementation of the program began on the date of the second lesson, demanding a rescheduling(17)
The students in the control group were taught to write compositions via communicative language teaching methods. All the English textbooks in the department are designed based on the communicative language teaching approach(18)
During the program duration, the students were exposed to formative assessments and homework assignments(19)
At the end of the program, the control and experimental groups took the posttest, after which the researcher distributed the questionnaire to the experimental group once again, to elicit their attitudes towards writing in English after practicing the mentioned techniques(20)
The responses of the post-test and the questionnaire were collected and statistically analyzed


## 3.1. Study Participants

The participants of this study were 60 (33 male and 27 female) students in the 4th year of study in the Department of English, College of Arts, University of Anbar, Iraq. All study participants provided informed consent. The researcher obtained their informed consent orally before conducting the study (asking each student individually). The study excluded the students who did not agree to participate and counted them with the control group students (who received education without exposure to the experiment). The students decided to join after they were sure that all the information would be private and would be used only for the sake of the study, and the results of the experiment do not have any negative influence on them. Further, the appropriate ethics review board (professors specializing in methodology, translation, applied linguistics, and linguistics) approved the study design.The study was conducted during the second semester of the academic year 2020–2021. The researcher randomly divided the participants based on the list of their names into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. The students with odd numbers on the list were put in the control group, while those with even numbers were put in the experimental group, as shown in Table1.Table 1
Distribution of students in the control and the experimental groups.
GroupMaleFemaleTotalControl141832Experimental19928Total332760


## 3.2. Variables of the Study

This study investigated the following variables:(1)
The independent variables were the use of the story mapping technique and the writing hortatory exposition text. A pre- and a postattitudinal questionnaire also came under this(2)
The dependent variables were the students’ achievements on the posttest and their attitudes towards writing


## 3.3. Instruments

To collect the data, a pretest, a posttest, and an attitudinal questionnaire were designed. The pretest was designed to ensure the equalization of both the groups, while the posttest was designed to reveal the effect of the experiment. The attitudinal questionnaire was distributed twice, once before conducting the experiment and then after conducting the experiment, to reveal students’ attitudes towards creating compositions in English, as well as the impact of the teaching techniques on students’ attitudes.


## 3.4. Procedures

To verify the hypotheses and achieve the aims of the study, the following procedures were observed:(1)
The participants were taught via online learning (Google Meet) due to the COVID-19 pandemic(2)
An open question was distributed via Google Forms to the participants to reveal the skill that they needed to develop(3)
The responses were analyzed, revealing that they needed to develop writing skills, especially for writing stories, essays, and compositions in a creative way, while avoiding a simple writing style. Basically, they needed to write in a way that would encourage readers to read(4)
The literature and the most recent studies were reviewed, including studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine(5)
The teaching techniques were selected, and the measurement instruments were designed(6)
A pretest, a posttest, and a questionnaire were designed. The posttest scoring scheme was then built, as shown in Table2(7)
The reliability and validity of the research instruments were measured(8)
The participants were divided into three groups: pilot, control, and experimental (the pilot group had 12 students from the College of Education for Women and 6 students from the College of Education for Humanities).(9)
The control and experimental groups were equalized by the pretest. Table3 shows the result of the pretestTable 2
Scoring scheme of the posttest.
CriteriaQualityScoringPunctuation and spelling10GrammarExcellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1IdeasExcellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1VocabularyExcellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1CohesionExcellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1CoherenceExcellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1Solution (suggestions, advice, points of view, and/or recommendations)Excellent5Very good4Good3Fair2Weak1Total100Table 3
The mean scores, standard deviations, andt values of the two groups on the pretest.
GroupNo. of studentsMean scoresSDt valuesdfLevel of significanceCalculatedTabulatedEG.2847.4611.100.772.00580.05CG.3252.539.61Table3 shows that there is no significant difference between the achievements of the groups. The calculated t value is lower than the tabulated t value.
(10)
An instructional writing program was designed based on the story mapping and writing hortatory exposition techniques which included 10 lessons. The first five lessons were on teaching writing via these two techniques, and each lesson was 120 minutes long. The program was judged by specialists in order to ensure its validity and reliability(11)
Various questions related to writing skills were shared with both the groups via Google Forms to extract the items of the questionnaire(12)
The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were ensured(13)
The questionnaire was distributed to a pilot sample consisting of 18 male and female students to ensure the suitability of the items, reveal their ambiguity, measure their discrimination power, evaluate the clarity, and to know the required average response time(14)
The pilot test was conducted on the pilot sample(15)
At the beginning of the first day of the experiment, the researcher met the participants of both the groups online via Google Meet and shared the questionnaire with them, explaining its aim and giving an example to avoid any ambiguity in the responses. Both groups then took the online pre-test(16)
The first lesson with the experimental group took 3 hours of explanation and discussions. Thus, the actual implementation of the program began on the date of the second lesson, demanding a rescheduling(17)
The students in the control group were taught to write compositions via communicative language teaching methods. All the English textbooks in the department are designed based on the communicative language teaching approach(18)
During the program duration, the students were exposed to formative assessments and homework assignments(19)
At the end of the program, the control and experimental groups took the posttest, after which the researcher distributed the questionnaire to the experimental group once again, to elicit their attitudes towards writing in English after practicing the mentioned techniques(20)
The responses of the post-test and the questionnaire were collected and statistically analyzed


## 4. Results

### 4.1. Results for the First Hypothesis

To verify the first hypothesis, ‘there is a statistically significant difference (α = 0.05) between the mean scores of the students in the experimental group and that of the students in the control group due to the teaching methods,’ mean scores, standard deviations, and t values of the two groups were used to calculate the results of the posttest, as shown in Table 4.Table 4
The mean scores, standard deviations, andt values of the two groups on the achievement posttest.
GroupNo. of studentsMean scoresSDt valuesdfLevel of significanceCalculatedTabulatedEG.2856.438.693.432.00580.05CG.3250.616.60Table4 shows that the mean scores of the students in the experimental and the control group are 56.43 and 50.61, respectively. The calculated t value of 3.43 is higher than the tabulated t value, indicating a significant difference between the two groups in favor of the experimental group. Thus, the hypothesis is accepted.


### 4.2. Results for the Second Hypothesis

To verify the second hypothesis, ‘there is a statistically significant difference (α = 0.05) in the mean scores of the students’ attitudes towards writing in English,’ the students’ attitudes were recorded before and after the implementation of the instructional program. Table 5 presents the means and standard deviations of pre- and postattitudes.Table 5
The means and standard deviations of pre- and postattitudes towards writing in English.
Attitudes and related itemsApplicationMeanSDrt valuedfI believe that I can write an argumentative composition.Before2.091.4460.37−02.33924After2.431.181I believe that I do not have sufficient ideas to write a descriptive composition.Before2.151.4840.44−04.20324After2.961.021I believe that I cannot use abstract nouns, such as ‘consideration’ and ‘belief,’ in a composition.Before2.221.3310.36−04.29324After2.941.081I feel that using action verbs in a composition needs long-term practice.Before2.120.9190.32−04.15024After2.580.349I believe that learning to write compositions via cluster diagrams is time-consuming.Before2.122.2240.39−04.62124After2.581.082I feel bored when learning English writing skills.Before2.131.4460.33−02.33924After2.971.102I believe that generating different ideas about a specific topic is easy.Before2.191.5860.43−04.20324After2.371.122I do not use temporal connectives (first, second, etc.) in a composition.Before1.741.7320.32−04.29324After2.391.129I believe that I can achieve coherence without the use of story-mapping, which helps to connect the ideas at the initial level.Before0.0211.5210.37After1.091.109−04.15024I believe that writing the ideas using a mapping style helps to organize the paragraphs.Before2.141.4460.34−02.33924After3.130.902I believe that using story-mapping can help to achieve coherence (including developing and supporting the argument) in a composition.Before2.161.3840.41−04.20324After2.341.092I believe that treating the compositional subject as a problem that needs solutions, suggestions, and recommendations helps to develop writing skills.Before2.451.3310.37−04.29324After3.050.921I believe that writing a composition requires the learning of idea-generation, problem-solving strategies, and grammatical and lexical cohesion.Before2.341.4180.37−04.15024After3. 270.958I feel that writing a persuasive composition is easy.Before2.461.4210.37−04.15024After3.100.351I believe that I need an atmosphere that motivates writing.Before1.921.2230.36−04.62124After2.911.092OverallBefore2.571.2060.32−02.17924After3.160.089Table5 shows that there are observed differences (α=0.05) between the means of the students’ attitudes, towards learning composition writing in English language via story mapping technique and writing hortatory exposition composition (as whole), before and after the implementation of the instructional program in favor of the postattitudes.


### 4.3. Results for the Third Hypothesis

To verify the third hypothesis, ‘there is a significant correlation between students’ attitudes and achievements,’ the Pearson correlation coefficient for the students’ attitudes and achievements was calculated. The results are presented in Table6.Table 6
Pearson’s correlation coefficients for students’ attitudes and achievements.
RelationshipStatisticsAchievementAttitudesPearson’s correlation0.72Significance0.001Table6 shows that there is a significant, high positive correlation between students’ attitudes and achievements. Statistically, the effect of the attitude value on the achievement is equal to the square of the correlation coefficient (0.72), which is about 50%, indicating that whenever the attitude value increases by one standard unit (standard deviation), the achievement value increases about 50% of the standard unit. More precisely, when the attitude is at a peak, the achievement will be half of the attitude.


## 4.1. Results for the First Hypothesis

To verify the first hypothesis, ‘there is a statistically significant difference (α = 0.05) between the mean scores of the students in the experimental group and that of the students in the control group due to the teaching methods,’ mean scores, standard deviations, and t values of the two groups were used to calculate the results of the posttest, as shown in Table 4.Table 4
The mean scores, standard deviations, andt values of the two groups on the achievement posttest.
GroupNo. of studentsMean scoresSDt valuesdfLevel of significanceCalculatedTabulatedEG.2856.438.693.432.00580.05CG.3250.616.60Table4 shows that the mean scores of the students in the experimental and the control group are 56.43 and 50.61, respectively. The calculated t value of 3.43 is higher than the tabulated t value, indicating a significant difference between the two groups in favor of the experimental group. Thus, the hypothesis is accepted.


## 4.2. Results for the Second Hypothesis

To verify the second hypothesis, ‘there is a statistically significant difference (α = 0.05) in the mean scores of the students’ attitudes towards writing in English,’ the students’ attitudes were recorded before and after the implementation of the instructional program. Table 5 presents the means and standard deviations of pre- and postattitudes.Table 5
The means and standard deviations of pre- and postattitudes towards writing in English.
Attitudes and related itemsApplicationMeanSDrt valuedfI believe that I can write an argumentative composition.Before2.091.4460.37−02.33924After2.431.181I believe that I do not have sufficient ideas to write a descriptive composition.Before2.151.4840.44−04.20324After2.961.021I believe that I cannot use abstract nouns, such as ‘consideration’ and ‘belief,’ in a composition.Before2.221.3310.36−04.29324After2.941.081I feel that using action verbs in a composition needs long-term practice.Before2.120.9190.32−04.15024After2.580.349I believe that learning to write compositions via cluster diagrams is time-consuming.Before2.122.2240.39−04.62124After2.581.082I feel bored when learning English writing skills.Before2.131.4460.33−02.33924After2.971.102I believe that generating different ideas about a specific topic is easy.Before2.191.5860.43−04.20324After2.371.122I do not use temporal connectives (first, second, etc.) in a composition.Before1.741.7320.32−04.29324After2.391.129I believe that I can achieve coherence without the use of story-mapping, which helps to connect the ideas at the initial level.Before0.0211.5210.37After1.091.109−04.15024I believe that writing the ideas using a mapping style helps to organize the paragraphs.Before2.141.4460.34−02.33924After3.130.902I believe that using story-mapping can help to achieve coherence (including developing and supporting the argument) in a composition.Before2.161.3840.41−04.20324After2.341.092I believe that treating the compositional subject as a problem that needs solutions, suggestions, and recommendations helps to develop writing skills.Before2.451.3310.37−04.29324After3.050.921I believe that writing a composition requires the learning of idea-generation, problem-solving strategies, and grammatical and lexical cohesion.Before2.341.4180.37−04.15024After3. 270.958I feel that writing a persuasive composition is easy.Before2.461.4210.37−04.15024After3.100.351I believe that I need an atmosphere that motivates writing.Before1.921.2230.36−04.62124After2.911.092OverallBefore2.571.2060.32−02.17924After3.160.089Table5 shows that there are observed differences (α=0.05) between the means of the students’ attitudes, towards learning composition writing in English language via story mapping technique and writing hortatory exposition composition (as whole), before and after the implementation of the instructional program in favor of the postattitudes.


## 4.3. Results for the Third Hypothesis

To verify the third hypothesis, ‘there is a significant correlation between students’ attitudes and achievements,’ the Pearson correlation coefficient for the students’ attitudes and achievements was calculated. The results are presented in Table6.Table 6
Pearson’s correlation coefficients for students’ attitudes and achievements.
RelationshipStatisticsAchievementAttitudesPearson’s correlation0.72Significance0.001Table6 shows that there is a significant, high positive correlation between students’ attitudes and achievements. Statistically, the effect of the attitude value on the achievement is equal to the square of the correlation coefficient (0.72), which is about 50%, indicating that whenever the attitude value increases by one standard unit (standard deviation), the achievement value increases about 50% of the standard unit. More precisely, when the attitude is at a peak, the achievement will be half of the attitude.


## 5. Discussion

The results for the first hypothesis reveal that for learning how to write compositions, the students who learned via the story mapping technique with the support of writing hortatory exposition text, achieved higher scores than the students who learned via communicative language teaching methods. Based on this result, the hypothesis was accepted.There are many types of compositions, such as narrative, descriptive, explanatory, recount, informative, reporting, and argumentative. However, the expression of the writer’s own solutions, suggestions, and/or recommendations is central only in the hortatory exposition type. This type reveals a high level of creativity in writing. A written composition/text reflects the writer’s thoughts and beliefs and even reflects their social and educational background. This is reflected through the suggestions and the recommendations that they provide for a given problem, which requires sufficient thoughtfulness, ideation, and vocabulary. By using the story mapping technique, students will be able to generate many ideas, characters, events, suggestions, and recommendations.This technique makes connecting sentences and paragraphs easy; it plays the role of a guide or an outline that helps students to successfully achieve coherence and cohesion in written text, thereby making it clearer and more interesting. Organizing the textual features, grammatical features, and generic structures of a text also becomes easier.Concerning the study participants, as they are going to earn a bachelor’s degree in English literature, they need to know how to express their ideas and points of view when writing.The results for the second hypothesis revealed that the students had learned a new way to portray their own personality. They now knew how to narrate events, describe something, explain a theme, provide information, report a case, and participate in a discussion/argument. However, this was the first time that they had learned how to express themselves regarding a given topic or theme, including their opinions, attitudes, opposition, agreement, and even emotions.Before the experiment, the students’ attitudes towards writing were not positive; they did not prefer to write, owing to many factors. Their pretest responses revealed that they felt they lacked the necessary skills for generating and organizing ideas as well as connecting paragraphs logically and that they lacked the ability to express their attitudes and points of view. Their previous experiences were restricted to themselves, and they lacked the opportunity and the ability to present them to audiences.A hortatory exposition text is aimed at making a case for or against a certain stance or point of view, typically ending with recommendations/suggestions. Using the story mapping technique saved them time and efforts, helped them organize their paragraphs, facilitated the use of cohesion and cohesive devices, and provided opportunities to express suggestions and produce solutions.The results of this study are in line with the outcomes of the studies of Okari [29], Allo et al. [1], Chavez et al. [57], Tabatabaei and Radi [72], and Boulineau et al. [73], all of which revealed the significant effects of using story mapping in teaching writing skills.In addition, the results corroborate those of Evans and Gray [31], Aritonang [74], Zakiah [75], Aprizawati [76], and Mazda [77], all of which revealed the significant effects of hortatory exposition in developing students’ writing abilities and performances.Furthermore, the results support Akhtar et al. [70], showing that students develop positive attitudes towards writing in English after their exposure to an instructional writing program.


## 6. Conclusions and Recommendations

Based on the outcomes of this study, it can be inferred that using the story mapping technique in the prewriting phase can help students with organizing their ideas, generating vocabulary, connecting sentences logically, avoiding spelling and grammar mistakes, and presenting the events in a naturally smooth way that would help readers understand the plot easily. To add creativity, a student can write a composition using the hortatory exposition technique, which polishes the work and presents it to the audience rich with the writer’s attitudes, perspectives, suggestions, and recommendations, along with their knowledge and language background. The hortatory exposition technique increases the readers’ curiosity, providing the solution to the presented problem at the end. Readers can also find the writer’s (student’s) suggestions that help them understand the overall text.The students’ attitudes towards writing in the English language became positive after using the two writing techniques (story mapping and hortatory exposition), meaning that the fourth-year EFL students need to learn writing strategies and techniques that encourage them to write in English, and express themselves freely and without anxiety.Based on these results, the researcher suggests that EFL professors implement the story mapping technique and hortatory exposition technique in teaching reading and listening skills, composition, essay writing, short story, as well as in British drama and novel courses. The Iraqi EFL students at the Department of English study British literature, from grade one to grade four; hence, using the mentioned techniques can be helpful to understand and comprehend literature.



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*Source: 4300692-2022-05-06.xml*