THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING EXPOSURE, GENERALIZATION, REINFORCEMENT, AND APPLICATION (EGRA) TECHNIQUE TO IMPROVE WRITING SKILLS

Abstract

This study examined the implementation of the Exposure, Generalization, Reinforcement, and Application (EGRA) technique integrated with the Discovery Learning model and evaluated its contribution to enhancing eighth-grade students’ recount text writing proficiency at SMP Negeri 3 Balaesang. Particular attention was given to two fundamental dimensions of writing performance: content development and paragraph organization. Employing a pre-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design, the study involved 29 students (N = 29). Data were obtained through essay-based writing performance assessments and scored using an analytical rubric addressing content and organization. The resulting data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, incorporating descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk test for normality, Levene’s test for variance homogeneity, and the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test for inferential analysis. The findings revealed a statistically significant increase in students’ writing performance, with the mean score rising from 40.69 on the pre-test to 64.83 on the post-test. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank analysis produced a Z value of −4.691 and an Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed) of < .001, leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. These findings indicate that the integration of EGRA with Discovery Learning can serve as a practical instructional approach for strengthening EFL writing proficiency, particularly by providing systematic scaffolding for idea development, content elaboration, and paragraph organization. The study further suggests that process-oriented and discovery-based instruction can help address students’ difficulties in initiating and structuring written expression, particularly in rural secondary-school contexts where access to sophisticated instructional resources may be limited.