The Impact of the Raft Strategy on Enhancing Information Writing and Creative Thinking Skills Among High School Students

Abstract

This study evaluates the RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) strategy's impact on information writing and creative thinking skills among first-grade high school students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Conducted in the second semester of 2023, the quasi-experimental study involved 172 students in the experimental group and 168 in the control group. The experimental group was taught using RAFT, while the control group followed traditional methods. The study’s instrument comprised 20 statements across three dimensions: right-brained thinking, planning, and content abilities. Preliminary findings indicate that students initially performed poorly in writing skills, with an average pretest score of 0.77. RAFT significantly improved performance, with the experimental group surpassing the control group in all areas. The mean score for creative thinking skills was 12.54 (experimental) vs. 9.31 (control), organizational skills 6.11 vs. 3.40, and content skills 4.67 vs. 2.29. The experimental group's overall mean was 19.92, with a statistically significant difference (t = 2.23, p < 0.05, effect size = 0.079). This study situates RAFT within cultural and philosophical contexts, examining whether structured writing fosters or limits creativity. Writing, as a cognitive and cultural practice, carries axiological dimensions influencing self-expression and knowledge production. Integrating RAFT into curricula enhances students' epistemic and communicative competencies, promoting long-term improvements in writing and creative thinking.