Examining the Effect of Punctuation Marks on Writing Skills among Secondary School Students in Jeddah.

Punctuation plays a key role in effective written communication, ensuring clarity and facilitating accurate interpretation of text. Despite its significance, students often demonstrate challenges in applying punctuation rules correctly, and this issue extends to the secondary school level. This study investigated the perspectives of secondary school teachers in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the current state of punctuation instruction. A questionnaire was distributed to teachers, exploring their perceptions of punctuation importance, the most frequent punctuation errors observed in student writing, their self-reported efficacy in teaching punctuation, and their need for additional resources or professional development. The results revealed that teachers consider punctuation a crucial aspect of writing quality and essential for students' future success. However, they frequently encounter specific errors, such as comma splices, misuse of apostrophes, and incorrect semicolon usage, in students' work. Additionally, findings suggest a desire for greater support, including access to targeted instructional materials, professional development opportunities focused on punctuation, and strategies to integrate punctuation instruction across the curriculum. This study highlights the need to strengthen punctuation education within the Jeddah context, providing teachers with the necessary tools and training to improve the overall writing skills of secondary school students and better prepare them for success in academic and professional settings.