synthesizing engagement, study, and activation (esa) with portfolio assessment in efl classes: focus on cognitive dimensions in the process of writing skills

Applying an appropriate and dynamic method of teaching in efl instruction is a critical mechanism for engaging, attracting, and accompanying students. hypothesized as a dynamic platform, the synthesis of engagement, study, and activation (esa) with portfolio assessment was addressed in this mixed-method-based study to examine its effectiveness with regard to the target students' cognitive dimensions of developing writing skills. to this end, 177 iranian female students from a public high school participated in an experimental study and completed three data collection instruments, including a think-aloud protocol, a questionnaire, as well as an interview. manova of the quantitative data and nvivo-based qualitative data analyses revealed significantly compatible results. manova showed that synthesizing esa with portfolio assessment had the highest mean scores for writing skill-oriented cognitive dimensions, followed by the pure esa application and the control group achievement. moreover, the pure esa application had significantly higher mean scores compared to the conventional instructional mainstream in overall cognitive dimension. however, the synthetic mechanism proved to be much more effective than the pure esa in the overall cognitive dimensions. in line with the quantitative analyses, nvivo-based think-aloud and interview data revealed the nature and process of the effectiveness of the applied synthetic mechanisms in the areas of attention, practicing, thinking, self-correction, and problem solving dimensions, each to a certain degree.