Developing Argumentative Essay Writing Skills among Junior High School Students through a Writing Conference using the Toulmin Model

Abstract

Writing is an essential skill in language production that requires practice
and proficiency. This paper describes how writing conferences using the
Toulmin model improved the argumentative writing performance of Junior

High School students (n=20) in an Integrated High School. Following a mixed-
method design, qualitative and quantitative data were collected through pre-
writing and post-writing activities. The t-test p-value was used to interpret

the quantitative data. Meanwhile, open-ended questions and inter-rater
comments examined how writing conferences helped students improve
their writing. A rubric was used to grade the participants’ written output
while thematic analysis was utilized to extract meaningful themes from the
participant’s responses. The findings indicate that writing conferences using
the Toulmin Model significantly improved the argument structure and writing
quality of students’ papers, as evidenced by significant differences in the
mean scores between the participants’ pre-writing and post-writing activities.
The formulated themes include constructing claims/arguments, presenting/
gathering evidence, expressing ideas, centering on the topic, and reliability
and truthfulness of resources. These findings shed light on the vital role that
writing plays in overall communication as it improves other language skills like
speaking and reading. Finally, it was found that argumentative essays helped
students develop their critical thinking skills and defend their viewpoints with
evidence which is essential to other language skills.