Investigating English as a foreign language learners’ perceptions, emotions, and performance during online collaborative writing

Drawing on the sociocultural approach, this study aims to explore EFL learners’ perceptions toward collaborative writing, and the role that learners’ emotions play as a factor influencing their collaboration and achievements in face to face and Blackboard Chatbox as applied in their EFL classes. A mixed-methods research approach was used with a sample of 58 male students enrolled in writing courses at three levels (Levels 1–3) at the Department of English Language and Translation, Qassim University. Three instruments were used for data collection; a 45-item closed-ended questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and the learners’ overall performance. The findings shown that most learners have positive perceptions toward studying online through Blackboard, and Blackboard Chatbox. Furthermore, Blackboard Chatbox could provide necessary affordances to facilitate learners’ emotion, which could enhance their collaborative writing. However, no significant difference was observed between learners’ performance in the two models of instruction (Sig. = 0.287). Taken together, the results of the present study enhance current understanding of the role of learners’ emotions in collaborative writing with the use of technology.