Using Literature Circles-based Program for Developing EFL Creative Short Story Writing Skills among Secondary Stage Students

The present study investigated the effectiveness of using literature circles based program on developing secondary school students' EFL creative short story writing skills. A pre-post experimental one group design was used. First year secondary school students at El-Shomout El-Moshtaraka Secondary School, Benha, Qalioubiya Governorate, Egypt (N=33) during the first term of the school year 2020-2021 participated in the study. An EFL creative short story writing skills checklist was developed and validated. Instruments were an EFL creative short story writing skills pre-post test and a scoring rubric. The EFL creative short story writing skills pre-test was applied to the participants. Then they were taught through literature circles-based program for developing their creative short story writing skills. The researcher applied the post-test to the participants to assess the effectiveness of the literature circles based program. The study results were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results of the study revealed that the first year secondary stage students' EFL creative short story writing skills were significantly developed as a result of the use of literature circles-based program.