Digital Journaling Through Google Docs to Improve Students’ Writing Achievement at an Islamic Boarding School

Abstract

Traditional Islamic boarding schools are often associated with conventional learning practices, while digital learning activities are increasingly used to support students’ academic development. This study examined the potential value of digital journaling through Google Docs in supporting university students’ English writing achievement at Subulussalam Islamic Boarding School. A quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design was employed involving 30 university students, with 15 students in the experimental group and 15 in the control group. Data were collected through pre-test and post-test writing assessments and scored using an analytical writing rubric. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Shapiro–Wilk and Levene’s tests, and the Mann–Whitney U test. The experimental group’s mean score increased from 50.13 to 81.47, while the control group’s mean score increased from 36.27 to 60.20. The experimental group therefore showed a greater descriptive improvement (31.34 points) than the control group (23.93 points). The Mann–Whitney U test indicated significant differences between the groups at both pre-test (p = 0.005) and post-test (p < 0.001), showing that the groups were not equivalent at baseline. Therefore, although digital journaling was associated with higher post-test writing achievement and greater descriptive improvement, the findings do not provide conclusive evidence that the intervention alone caused the observed difference. The study highlights the potential of Google Docs-supported journaling as a continuous writing, feedback, and revision activity in an Islamic boarding school context.