Fostering EFL Learners’ Classroom Engagement: Does Collaborative Writing through Google Docs Make a Difference?

The present study investigated the impact of Iranian learners’ collaborative writing through Google Docs on their classroom engagement. To attain the purpose of the study, 50 Iranian EFL learners were selected. Two instruments were used to gather the required data: a classroom engagement questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. In the first session, the first researcher/teacher asked the participants of both groups to fill out the engagement scale as the pre-test. The experimental group received a 60-minute training session to acquaint them with collaborative writing and engage in pre-task modeling of collaboration. The experimental group received online collaborative writing using Google Docs during the study intervention, while the control group underwent conventional teaching methods. At the end of the treatment, both groups took a post-test. Descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests were used to analyze the obtained data. The results revealed that collaborative writing through Google Docs significantly affects the participants’ classroom engagement since the experimental group participants outperformed the control group participants in the post-test. The obtained data from the interview were reported qualitatively. The results revealed participants’ positive views regarding using Google Docs, and they provided their ideas regarding its use in future courses. The findings have implications for EFL teachers and learners.