The Impact of Canva on Students’ Motivation in Developing Writing Skills

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the impact of utilising Canva on Form 3 students’ motivation in developing writing skills. It examines how multimodal elements in teacher-created Canva materials such as visuals, texts, audio and video affect students’ motivation and writing development compared to traditional ESL teaching approaches. A quasi-experimental one group pretest post-test design with a mixed method approach was employed involving 30 Form 3 students from SM Stella Maris, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Data were collected through questionnaires, students’ reflections, pre and post-tests, and document analysis on writing samples assessed using the CEFR Writing Assessment Scale. Findings revealed, students significantly gained motivation after employing Canva, showing development towards their writing skills. Survey results showed most students agreed Canva boosted their motivation; leading to improved writing skills, Reflections supported this by highlighting students’ engagement and enjoyment. Post-test scores demonstrated significant improvements based on CEFR’s criteria, thus supporting the use of Canva in English language learning, specifically writing. Overall, the study concludes that the implementation of Canva in ESL teaching and learning enhances students’ learning experience, fostering better learning outcomes. Consequently, valuable implications from this study can inform future educators, researchers, curriculum developers in adopting multimodal digital tools to foster motivation and writing skills, promoting proactive classrooms in the 21st-century.