Migrant Students’ Emotions and Perceptions of collaborative writing: The role of educational setting, educational level and (non-)migrant background
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54475/jlt.2025.006Keywords:
migrant education, collaborative writing, dictogloss, language learning in migrant contexts, school setting, school level, migrant background, grammar teaching intervention, group work in formal education settingsAbstract
Within a socio-cultural framework of language teaching and a mixed methods design, the present study explores the emotional impact of collaborative writing activities on (non-) migrant students in formal education as well as their perceptions towards collaboration. The study examined whether emotions and perceptions about collaboration are differentially affected by educational level (primary vs. junior high school), educational setting (reception vs. mainstream class) as well as students’ background (migrant, non-migrant). The data were obtained by means of questionnaires and were analyzed both quantitatively by means of linear mixed-effects models and qualitatively by means of thematic analysis. The results revealed that students overall exhibited more positive than negative emotions. Even more, primary school students in the mainstream class exhibited weaker negative emotions compared to students in the reception class, and marginally stronger positive emotions and weaker negative emotions compared to junior high school students in the mainstream class. Primary school students in the mainstream class were the only group who did not exhibit negative emotions towards collaboration. Furthermore, junior high school students exhibited more negative emotions and reported more collaboration difficulties compared to primary school students, which could be associated with different conceptualization of group work among different ages as well as with different social group dynamics between the mainstream class of primary school and the mainstream class of junior high school along with different orientation of the school curricula.
References
Aguiar, C., Silva, C. S., Guerra, R., Rodrigues, R. B., Ribeiro, L. A., … Pastori, G. (2019). Early interventions tackling inequalities experienced by immigrant, low-income, and Roma children in 8 European countries: A critical overview. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 28(1), 58–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2020.1707363 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2020.1707363
Ahad, A. & Benton, M. (2018). Mainstreaming 2.0: How Europe’s education systems can boost migrant inclusion. Migration Policy Institute Europe.
Ahmadian, M., Amerian, M., & Lavasani, E. (2015). The effect of the dicto-gloss as a cooperative learning technique on EFL learners’ self-efficacy in writing. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 6(6), 1357. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0606.25 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0606.25
Baines, E., Blatchford, P., & Kutnick, P. (2008). Promoting effective group work in the primary classroom: A handbook for teachers and practitioners. http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA9124816X DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203934388
Basterrechea M., García Mayo M.P. (2013). Language-related episodes (LREs) during collaborative tasks: a comparison of CLIL and EFL learners. In McDonough K., Mackey A. (Eds.), Second language interaction in diverse educational contexts (pp. 25–43). John Benjamins. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.34.05ch2
Bereiter, C., & Scardamalia, M. (1987). The psychology of written composition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Berkenkotter, C. (1984). Student writers and their sense of authority over texts. College Composition and Communication, 35(3), 312. https://doi.org/10.2307/357459 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/357459
Borůvková, R., & Emanovský, P. (2016). Small group learning methods and their effect on learners’ relationships. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 70(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/16.70.45 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/16.70.45
Bowker, J. C., Richard, C. L., Stotsky, M. V., Weingarten, J. P., & Shafik, M. I. (2023). Understanding shyness and psychosocial difficulties during early adolescence: the role of friend shyness and self-silencing. Personality and Individual Differences, 209, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112209 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112209
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Brooks, C. M., & Ammons, J. L. (2003). Free riding in group projects and the effects of timing, frequency, and specificity of criteria in peer assessments. Journal of Education for Business, 78(5), 268–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832320309598613 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08832320309598613
Busse, V., McLaren, L. M., & Dahm, A. (2021). Responding to migration-related diversity in the classroom: a comparison of diversity-sensitive approaches to stimulate word acquisition in early FL teaching. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 45(5), 1596–1615. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.2005611 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.2005611
Busse, V., Cenoz, J., Dalmann, N., & Rogge, F. (2020). Addressing linguistic diversity in the language classroom in a resource-oriented way: an intervention study with primary school children. Language Learning, 70(2), 382–419 https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12382 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12382
Calzada, A., & García Mayo, M. del P. (2020). Child learners’ reflections about EFL grammar in a collaborative writing task: When form is not at odds with communication. Language Awareness, 30(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2020.1751178 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09658416.2020.1751178
Cazden, C. B. (1988). Classroom discourse: The language of teaching and learning. http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA12142720
Cho, K., Schunn, C. D., & Chamey, D. (2006). Commenting on writing typology and perceived helpfulness of comments from novice peer reviewers and subject matter experts. Written Communication, 23(3), 260–294. https://doi.org/10.1177/0741088306289261 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0741088306289261
Daiute, C., & Dalton, B. (1993). Collaboration between children learning to write: Can novice be masters? Cognition and Instruction, 10(4), 281–333. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532690xci1004_1
Deveci, T. & Ayish, N. (2018). Effects of dictogloss as a collaborative writing activity on students’ perceptions and language development. The Journal of Limitless Education and Research, 4–19. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328900786_Effects_of_dictogloss_as_a_collaborative_writing_activity_on_students'_perceptions_and_language_development
Dishon, D. and O’Leary, P. W. (1984). A guidebook for cooperative learning: A technique for creating more effective schools. Learning Publications.
Donato, R. (1994). Collective scaffolding in second language learning. In J. P. Lantolf, & G. Appel (Eds.), Vygostkian approaches to second language research (pp. 33–56). Ablex.
Dobao, A. F. and Blum, A. (2013). CW in pairs and small groups: Learners’ attitudes and perceptions. System, 41(2), 365–378. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2013.02.002
Ferguson-Patrick, K. (2020). Cooperative learning in Swedish classrooms: Engagement and relationships as a focus for culturally diverse students. Education Sciences, 10(11), 312. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10110312 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci10110312
Fong, L. S. (2012). Benefits of collaborative writing for ESL advanced diploma students in the production of reports. US-China Education Review, 4, 396–407.
Franck, J., & Papadopoulou, D. (2024). Pedagogical translanguaging in L2 teaching for adult migrants: Assessing feasibility and emotional impact. Education Sciences, 14(12), 1308. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121308 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121308
Frenzel, A. C., Goetz, T., Lüdtke, O., Pekrun, R., & Sutton, R. E. (2009). Emotional transmission in the classroom: exploring the relationship between teacher and student enjoyment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 705–716. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014695 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014695
Gallego, M. (2014). Second language learners’ reflections on the effectiveness of dictogloss: A multi-sectional, multi-level analysis. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 4(1), 33–50. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2014.4.1.3
Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. Basic Books.
Göbel, K., and Frankemölle, B. (2020). Interkulturalität und Wohlbefinden im Schulkontext [Interculturalism and well-Being in the school context]. In T. Ringeisen, P. Genkova, and F. T. L. Leong (Eds.) Handbuch Stress und Kultur: Interkulturelle und kulturvergleichende Perspektiven (pp. 1–17). Wiesbaden: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-27825-0_30-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-27825-0_30-1
Gorman, M., & Ellis, R. (2019). The relative effects of metalinguistic explanation and direct written corrective feedback on children’s grammatical accuracy in new writing. Language Teaching for Young Learners, 1, 57–81.
https://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl.00005.gor DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/ltyl.00005.gor
Grief, S. (2007). Collaborative writing. The National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000204476
Henschel, S., Heppt, B., Weirich, S., Edele, A., Schipolowski, S., & Stanat, P. (2019). Zuwanderungsbezogene Disparitäten. In P. Stanar, S. Schipolowski, N. Mahler, S. Weirich, &S. Henschel (Eds.), IQB-Bildungstrend (pp. 295–336). Waxmann.
Horgan, D., Martin, S., O’Riordan, J., & Maier, R. (2022). Supporting languages: the socio-educational integration of migrant and refugee children and young people. Children & Society, 36, 369–385. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12525 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12525
Howard, R. M. (2001). Collaborative pedagogy. In G. Tate, A. Rupiper, & K. Schick (Eds.), A guide to composition pedagogies (pp. 54–70). Oxford University Press.
Hunt, L. (2024). Young refugees’ participation in post-compulsory education: mapping policies, challenges and ways forward in mainland Greece. In K. Sobczak-Szelc, M. Pachocka & J. Szałańska (Eds.), The Integration of refugees in the education and labour markets: between inclusion and exclusion practices (pp. 48–61). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003228967-5
Jacobs, G.M., & Small, J.J. (2003). Combining dictogloss and cooperative learning to promote language learning. The Reading Matrix: an International Online Journal, 3.
Johnson, D.W. and Johnson, R. T. (1999). What makes cooperative learning work. In Kluge, D. McGuire, S., Johnson, D. and Johnson, R. (Eds.), Cooperative Learning (pp. 23–36). JALT Applied Materials.
Kagan, D.M. (1992) Implications of research on teacher belief. Educational Psychologist, 27, 65–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2701_6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep2701_6
Kanazawa, N. (2017). A study of the effectiveness of dictogloss on English grammar and motivation for Japanese junior college students in English. Retrieved from https://komajo.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=1242&file_id=22&file_no=1
Karpava, S., Grohmann, K. K., & Fokianos, K. (2012). Aspect in the L2 and L3 acquisition of Greek. In Second language learning and teaching (pp. 41–62). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29557-7_3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29557-7_3
Kim, Y., & McDonough, K. (2008). The effect of interlocutor proficiency on the collaborative dialogue between Korean as a second language learners. Language Teaching Research, 12(2), 211–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168807086288 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168807086288
Kuiken, F., & Vedder, I. (2012). Speaking and writing tasks and their effects on second language performance. In S.M. Gass, & A. Mackey (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 364–377). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203808184 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203808184
Leeser, M. J. (2004). Learner proficiency and focus on form during collaborative dialogue. Language Teaching Research, 8(1), 55–81. https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168804lr134oa DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1362168804lr134oa
Leman P. J. (2015). How do groups work? Age differences in performance and the social outcomes of peer collaboration. Cognitive science, 39(4), 804–820. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12172 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12172
Lenth, R.V. (2020). Emmeans: estimated marginal means. Aka least-squares means R Package Version 1.5.3.
Long, K. N., Wilkinson, R., Cowden, R. G., Chen, Y., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2024). Hope in adolescence and subsequent health and well-being in adulthood: An outcome-wide longitudinal study. Social Science & Medicine, 347, 116704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116704 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116704
Moranski, K. & Kim, F. (2016). Flipping lessons in a multi-section Spanish course: implications for assigning explicit grammar instruction outside of the classroom. The Modern Language Journal, 100, 830–852. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12366 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12366
Nassaji, H., & Tian, N. J. (2010). Collaborative and individual output tasks and their effects on learning English phrasal verbs. Language Teaching Research, 14(4), 397–419. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168810375364 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168810375364
Nunan, D. (1988). The learner-centred Curriculum: A study in second language teaching. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781139524506 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524506
Nurdianingsih, F., & Rahmawati, O.I. (2018). Running dictation as an effective technique on the teaching writing skill. ELLiC Proceedings, 2, 127–131. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24903/sj.v2i2.128
Oakley, B. A., Hanna, D. M., Kuzmyn, Z., & Felder, R. M. (2007). Best practices involving teamwork in the classroom: Results from a survey of 6435 engineering student respondents. IEEE Transactions on Education, 50(3), 266–272. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TE.2007.901982
OECD. (2015). Immigrant students at school: easing the journey towards integration (OECD Reviews of Migrant Education). OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264249509-en DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264249509-en
Olioumtsevits, K., Papadopoulou, D., & Marinis, T. (2023). Second language grammar learning in refugee children. Pedagogical Linguistics, 4(1), 50–76. https://doi.org/10.1075/pl.21012.oli. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/pl.21012.oli
Pieterse, V., & Thompson, L. (2010). Academic alignment to reduce the presence of social loafers and 'diligent isolates' in student teams. Teaching in Higher Education, 15(4), 355–367. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2010.493346 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2010.493346
Philp, J., & Duchesne, S. (2016). Exploring engagement in tasks in the language classroom. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 36, 50–72.
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190515000094 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190515000094
Philp, J., Adams, R., & Iwashita, N. (2013). Peer interaction and second language learning (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203551349 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203551349
Pica, T. (1994). Research on negotiation: what does it reveal about second-language learning conditions, processes, and outcomes? Language Learning, 44(3), 493–527. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1994.tb01115.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1994.tb01115.x
Qin, J. (2008). The effect of processing instruction and dictogloss tasks on acquisition of the English passive voice. Language Teaching Research, 12, 61–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1362168807084494 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168807084494
Sato, M., & Ballinger, S. (2016). Peer interaction and second language learning: Pedagogical potential and research agenda. John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.45 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/lllt.45
Shak, J. (2006). Children using dictogloss to focus on form. Reflections on English Language Teaching, 5(2), 47–62.
Shehadeh, A. (2011). Effects and student perceptions of collaborative writing in L2. Journal of Second Language Writing, 20(4), 286–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2011.05.010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2011.05.010
Slavin, R. (1995). Cooperative learning (2nd ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Stanley, J. (1992). Coaching student writers to be effective peer evaluators. Journal of Second Language Writing, 1(3), 217–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/1060-3743(92)90004-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/1060-3743(92)90004-9
Steward, B. L., Silva, L. H. R., & Gonzalez, J. A. T. (2014). Integrating language skills through a dictogloss procedure. English Teaching Forum, 4(2), 12–19.
Storch, N. (2018). Collaborative writing. Language Teaching, 52(1), 40–59. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261444818000320 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444818000320
Storch, N. (2005). Collaborative writing: Product, process, and students’ reflections. Journal of Second Language Writing, 14, 153–173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2005.05.002
Storch, N. (2002). Patterns of interaction in ESL pair work. Language Learning, 52(1), 119–158. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9922.00179 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9922.00179
Storch, N., & Wigglesworth, G. (2007). Writing tasks: comparing individual and collaborative writing. In M. del Pilar Garcia-Mayo (Ed.), Investigating tasks in formal language learning (pp. 157–177). Multilingual Matters. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.27939675.13
Swain, M. (2013). The inseparability of cognition and emotion in second language learning. Language Teaching, 46(2), 195–207. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444811000486 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444811000486
Swain, M. (2006). Languaging, agency and collaboration in advanced second language proficiency. In: Byrnes, H., (Ed.), Advanced language learning: The contribution of Halliday and Vygotsky (pp. 95–108). Continuum.
Swain, M. (2000). The output hypothesis and beyond: mediating acquisition through collaborative dialogue. In J. P. Lantolf (Ed.), Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Learning (pp. 97–114). Oxford University Press.
Swain, M., & Lapkin, S. (2001). Focus on form through collaborative dialogue: Exploring task effects. In M. Bygate, P. Skehan & M. Swain (Eds.), Researching pedagogic tasks: Second language learning, teaching and testing (pp. 99–118). Pearson Education.
Swain, M. & Miccolli, L.S. (1994): Learning in a content-based, collaboratively structured course: the experience of an adult ESL learner. TESL Canada Journal, 12, 15–28. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v12i1.641
Swain, M. (1985). Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development. In S. Gass, & C. Madden (Eds.), Input in second language acquisition (pp. 235–253). Newbury House.
Talib, T., & Cheung, Y. L. (2017). Collaborative writing in classroom instruction: A synthesis of recent research. The English Teacher, 46(2), 43–57.
Tsimpli I.-M., Papadopoulou, D. (2009). Aspect and the Interpretation of Motion Verbs in L2 Greek. In Snape N., Leung Y K-I & M. Sharwood Smith (Eds.), Representational Deficits in SLA: Studies in honor of Roger Hawkins (pp.187-227). John Benjamins. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.47.11tsi
Ülger, Z., Dette-Hagenmeyer, D. E., Reichle, B., & Gaertner, S. L. (2017). Improving outgroup attitudes in schools: A meta-analytic review. Journal of School Psychology, 67, 88–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2017.10.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2017.10.002
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: Development of higher psychological processes. IHarvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvjf9vz4
Wajnryb, R. (1990). Grammar dictation. Oxford University Press.
Watanabe, Y., & Swain, M. (2007). Effects of proficiency differences and patterns of pair interaction on second language learning: collaborative dialogue between adult ESL learners. Language Teaching Research, 11(2), 121–142. https://doi.org/10.1177/136216880607074599 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/136216880607074599
Wigglesworth, G., & Storch, N. (2009). Pair versus individual writing: Effects on fluency, complexity and accuracy. Language Testing, 26(3), 445–466. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532209104670 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0265532209104670
Wong, C. W. S., & Schweitzer, R. D. (2017). Individual, premigration and postsettlement factors, and academic achievement in adolescents from refugee backgrounds: A systematic review and model. Transcultural Psychiatry, 54(5–6), 756–782. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461517737015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461517737015
Wood, D., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17(2), 89–100. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1976.tb00381.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1976.tb00381.x
Yolanda, D. (2019). The effect of running dictation method on students’ writing ability in procedure text (a study at the xith grade students of sma Negeri 6 padangsidimpuan). jurnal.ipts.ac.id. https://doi.org/10.37081/liner.v2i3.1208
Zhu, W. (2001). Interaction and feedback in mixed peer response groups. Journal of Second Language Writing, 10(4), 251–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1060-3743(01)00043-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1060-3743(01)00043-1

Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Language Teaching

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.