چكيده
This quasi - experimental study attempts to investigate the effect of blended learning classes on Iranian EFL learners' writing skill and autonomy in a high school in Tabriz, Iran. From the population of 450 male students, 90 students were chosen non-randomly. Based on the Nelson Proficiency Test scores, a sample of 56 intermediate-level students were selected from a total of 90 students. The participants were divided into two groups as experimental and control each with 28 students. A number of tests were conducted throughout the research which included Nelson Proficiency Test was used in order to ensure the homogeneity of students of the study in terms of the general language proficiency, a writing pretest as a writing proficiency test and a posttest of writing which were conducted to measure and compare the writing skill of the two groups. ESL Composition Profile developed by Jacobs et al., (1981) was used as a criterion for evaluating the students' writing. Moreover, learners' autonomy questionnaire devised by Zhang and Li (2004) was used to assess the autonomy level of learners. Then, the experimental group received treatment through blended learning method and control group received traditional method of instruction. After 8 sessions of treatment, the post tests of writing and autonomy were administered to the participants. Collected data were analyzed through independent sample t-test. Findings of the present study revealed that blended learning had a significant effect on the Iranian EFL learners’ writing skill. In term of autonomy, the experimental group performed significantly better than control group. Therefore, blended learning could prove effective in the development of writing skill and autonomy of the Iranian EFL learners. The researcher expects that the findings of this study will throw further light on this topic and instructors will use what they have acquired here in their own circumstances in order to increase their students' writing skill and autonomy.
