The Impact of Interactive Videos on Improving English Writing Skills of 8th Graders in Saudi Arabian Public Schools

This quasi-experimental study (wherein n = 25 eighth-grade students from one public school in eastern Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) examined the impact of interactive videos on English as a foreign language (EFL) writing skills, including sentence construction, vocabulary, cohesion, comprehension, and grammar. Drawing from multimedia learning theory (Mayer, 2017) and the Interactive, Constructive, Active, Passive (ICAP) framework (Chi & Wylie, 2014), we implemented a single 10-minute interactive video with quizzes, branching scenarios, and immediate feedback in one session. Quantitative analysis used pre- and post-writing scores, which we assessed via a validated rubric (inter-rater reliability:α = .87), revealing significant improvements in sentence construction (M = 4.2, SD = .6), cohesion (M = 4.0, SD = .7), and comprehension (M = 4.1, SD = .5), with moderate gains in vocabulary (M = 3.5, SD=1.0) and grammar (M = 3.4, SD = 1.1); inferential tests confirmed statistical significance (p < .05). Qualitative data from student reflections indicated heightened motivation and engagement. Strong correlations emerged among skills (r = .72–.89, p < .01), though limitations such as the absence of a control group and small sample size restricted causality claims. Findings suggest that interactive videos enhance EFL writing when paired with teacher guidance, with implications for Saudi curricula.