The Impact of the VAW Method on Year 5 ESL Primary School Learners’ Writing Performance: Insights from an Online Learning Context

Writing proficiency is a crucial skill for ESL learners, yet vocabulary learning and writing instruction in Malaysian primary schools often operate in isolation. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Vocabulary-Application and Practice–Writing (VAW) Method, an integrated instructional model administered online, to enhance writing performance among Year 5 ESL learners in a rural Malaysian school. A multi-methods, quasi-experimental design was used. Sixty Year 5 learners were divided equally into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received the VAW Method intervention through scaffolded vocabulary exercises and guided writing tasks. The control group followed standard ESL writing instruction. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-tests and repeated writing tasks, while qualitative insights were gathered from semi-structured interviews. Statistical analyses included ANOVA, t-tests, and essay progression tracking; qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Learners in the experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in writing performance, including vocabulary use, text coherence, and structural organization (F(1,58)=13.21, p<.001, partial η²=.186). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed sustained gains across four writing tasks (F(3,116)=97.793, p<.001). Qualitative findings revealed high levels of satisfaction, engagement, and appreciation for scaffolded feedback, despite challenges in online learning. The VAW Method constitutes a pedagogically robust and theoretically informed approach to ESL writing instruction. By bridging vocabulary learning with structured writing tasks via scaffolded cycles, it supports primary ESL learners in achieving meaningful and sustained writing gains, even in digitally mediated and resource-constrained environments. The study offers compelling evidence for embedding vocabulary-integrated writing cycles into digital and face-to-face ESL curricula, promoting learner-centered scaffolding and feedback-driven revision practices.