THE IMPACT OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED INSTRUCTION ON COHERENCE, GRAMMAR, AND MECHANICS IN ENGLISH ESSAY WRITING AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BOMET COUNTY, KENYA

This study investigated the effects of Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) using tutorial videos on English essay writing performance among Form Three students in public secondary schools in Bomet County, Kenya. Motivated by concerns about graduates’ inadequate communicative skills in English, as observed in job applications and interviews, the research addressed three questions: What effect does CAI focused on coherence, grammar, and writing mechanics have on essay writing performance in public secondary schools in Bomet County, Kenya? Guided by Social Learning Theory, a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was employed, involving 300 students (160 males, 140 females) from 15 public secondary schools with computer laboratories, selected via stratified random sampling. The intervention group (n=150) received CAI through tutorial videos targeting coherence, grammar, and mechanics over 8 weeks, while the control group (n=150) received traditional instruction. Data were collected using essay writing tests and classroom observation schedules. Instrument reliability was confirmed (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.87), and ethical standards, including informed consent and approval from the Bomet County Education Board, were observed. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, with descriptive statistics (means, frequencies) and independent-sample t-tests to test hypotheses. Findings revealed significantly higher post-test essay scores in the intervention group (M=31.8) compared to the control group (M=26.3, p<0.001), with notable improvements in coherence (M=8.5 vs. 7.0, p<0.001), grammar (M=8.2 vs. 6.8, p<0.001), and mechanics (M=8.3 vs. 6.9, p<0.001), rejecting the null hypotheses. Infrastructural challenges, including limited devices and power outages, were noted as barriers. These results demonstrate CAI’s efficacy in enhancing English essay writing in resource-constrained settings, informing strategies for educational technology integration in Kenya.  Article visualizations: