The effect of backward design on writing skills of students at school of foreign languages

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of the Backward Design Model on the writing skills of the students studying at the School of Foreign Languages at universities in Turkey. In the research, exploratory sequential design, one of the mixed methods, was used. While the quantitative dimension of the research was formed by the evaluations made during the implementation of the structured instructional design and the achievement test applied at the end of the process, the qualitative dimension was formed by semi-structured interviews. In the research, within the framework of the Backward Design Model applications, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University School of Foreign Languages B1 level writing course contents were examined and a writing lesson program design was prepared for B1 level students by using the Backward Design model. The prepared lesson designs were applied online for four weeks with the participation of 17 students. Quantitative data of the research were obtained from the points students got from the paragraphs they wrote during the application and from the achievement test applied at the end of the application. In the research, course designs, researcher notes and semi-structured interviews with students were used as qualitative data collection tools Findings obtained from the quantitative data of the study showed that the Backward Design Model improved students' writing skills. Findings from the qualitative data also revealed that Backward Design Model applications increased the motivation of B1 level students towards writing in English and improved their writing skills. Keywords: Backward Design Model, Foreign language teaching, English writing lesson.