Exploring the effectiveness of digital writing tools on Thai EFL students’ writing

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo

Research examines how digital writing tools affect Thai EFL university students’ writing skills and learning experiences. The study investigates perceptions of Paragraph Punch and ProWritingAid and evaluates writing performance through a 30-item questionnaire, pre- and post-writing tests, and semi-structured interviews. Findings show students report notable challenges in idea development, grammar, and paragraph organization, yet digital tool use leads to significant improvement. Students attribute progress to supportive guidance and real-time feedback, while also raising concerns about overreliance and the need for additional teacher feedback.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time43 min

AccessFree to download

Article Info

Abstract

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OPEN ACCESS Research Article Contemporary Educational Technology, 2024, 16(3), ep519 ISSN: 1309-517X (Online) Exploring the effectiveness of digital writing tools on Thai EFL students’ writing Kusuma Pitukwong 1 0000-0001-9518-2166 Sasithida Saraiwang 1* 0009-0002-4967-1625 1 Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, Nakhon Pathom, THAILAND * Corresponding author: [sasithida.s@hotmail.com](sasithida.s@hotmail.com) Citation: Pitukwong, K., & Saraiwang, S. (2024) . Exploring the effectiveness of digital writing tools on Thai EFL students’ writing. Contemporary Educational Technology, 16(3), ep519. [https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/14808](https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/14808) ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT | Received: 4 Apr 2024
Accepted: 18 Jun 2024
INTRODUCTION | Mastering writing in English is crucial for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners; nevertheless, they encounter numerous difficulties, such as idea development, grammar complexities, vocabulary range, or even the pressure from writing anxiety. Consequently, many educators employ digital writing tools to enhance EFL learners’ English writing skills. This study aimed to explore Thai EFL university students’ perceptions of two digital writing tools, Paragraph Punch and ProWritingAid, as well as to investigate students’ writing performance. Participants consisted of 53 undergraduate EFL students enrolled in English education at a university in Thailand. Three research instruments were utilized: a 30-item questionnaire investigating participants’ perceptions of writing problems, a pre- and post-writing test assessing students’writing development, and a semi-structured interview exploring students’ views on integrating digital writing tools in writing classes. The questionnaire findings emphasized various challenges students encountered in writing, including difficulties with idea development, grammar, and paragraph organization. The research further indicated a significant enhancement in students’writing abilities after using digital writing tools. Additionally, students perceived that the improvements in their writing proficiency were due to the supportive guidance and real-time feedback provided by these digital writing tools. Nevertheless, there were concerns regarding excessive dependency on digital tools, the need for supplementary teacher feedback, and technological barriers.
Keywords: EFL, digital writing tools, technology integration, Paragraph Punch, ProWritingAid, writing skills | | --- | --- | In the dynamic global context, effective English communication is crucial to access a world of information and technological advancements, free from geographic boundaries (Rao, 2019) . Moreover, English unlocks the gateway to professional possibilities and acts as a bridge for promoting cross-cultural understanding by connecting people from various backgrounds (Alfarhan, 2017) and increasing international conversations (Rido, 2020) . Additionally, it is an essential academic support tool (Rofi’I & Nurhidayat, 2020), especially for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, as it empowers them to move through the world with certainty. Therefore, mastering English offers these learners opportunities for global success in diverse contexts. English writing proficiency is important for EFL learners, as it aligns strongly with academic achievement (Curtis, 2019; Naghdipour, 2021) . This is particularly crucial for university students as learners with writing proficiency in English tend to generate higher-quality writing (Hz et al., 2023) . This ability fosters increased academic performance, which aligns with Baker’s (2019) observation regarding to an increasing dominance of English as the language of research. This implies that scholars from emerging countries are often encouraged to publish their work in English to gain recognition. It is evident by the fact that proficient EFL learners are more likely to contribute articles to internation

FAQs

Which digital writing tools are examined in the study?

The study evaluates two tools: Paragraph Punch and ProWritingAid, focusing on students’ perceptions and writing outcomes.

How did the researchers measure students’ perceptions and writing performance?

Perceptions were measured with a 30-item questionnaire, writing development was assessed using pre- and post-writing tests, and student views were explored through semi-structured interviews.

What improvements did students experience after using the tools?

Students showed a significant enhancement in their writing abilities, and they linked these gains to supportive guidance and real-time feedback from the tools.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo