Abstract:
The main purpose of the present study was to explore the practical implementation of the
process approach to teaching and learning paragraph writing skills at grade nine level of two
selected schools in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia. The research design used to conduct the research
was exploratory study design. Through this design, attempts were made to find out whether the
process approach to teaching and learning paragraph writing skills was implemented in EFL
contexts. Sample students for the study were selected through using simple random sampling
techniques, but since the number of teachers was only four, they all were taken using available
sampling procedure. Data were collected using questionnaire for students, in depth interview to
teachers and classroom observation. The close ended items of the instruments were analyzed
quantitatively, whereas the open ended items were analyzed using qualitative descriptions. The
data collected first tallied and then presented through frequency and percentage in tables. The
presented data were analyzed immediately below each table. Each presented and analyzed
result was interpreted to show the implication according to the objectives of the study. Finally,
conclusions were made. Thus according to the findings, it was identified that process approach
to teaching and learning writing skills in general and paragraph writing skills in particular was
not implemented in the selected schools. Teachers were recommended to give priority for the
planning of implementing important approaches to deliver the lesson, while students were
recommended to see the benefit of writing paragraph for the development of the entire skills in
the target language. Besides, the concerned educational bodies were also recommended to plan
and implement in-service training to teachers and orient students to see the benefit of learning
the entire subject instead of giving due emphasis for tackling exam questions. This
consequences with the results of English Education Outcomes such as improvement of learners
academic writing based on school writings at secondary schools ; in particular, Dimtu
secondary school and Ako secondary school among Jimma Zone secondary schools in focus
and then expected to benefit the wider Enrollment in Ethiopia.
