A Study of Educational Methods for Determining the Topic of Academic Writing for Foreign Students: Through the Expansion of the KWL Model

Abstract

This study aimed to propose an educational method for determining the topic of academic writing for foreign students using the KWL(Know-Want-Learn) model. To this end, an expanded model called KWLC(Know-Want-Learn-Compare) was presented by analyzing the subject-determining teaching method and previous relevant studies. The proposed model was applied to three classes of college writing in the spring and fall semesters of 2022, and the results were analyzed through case studies. The results were as follows. First, the KWLC model made reading and writing easier through critical thinking. Second, the contents written in stage C played a decisive role in deriving the topic. Third, through stage C, thinking developed in the direction of paying attention not only to the “gap in knowledge” and “gap in thinking” but also to the “gap in objects,” enabling the reader to develop an extended theme beyond the subject of the given text. Fourth, KWLC was helpful in deriving specific and creative themes. It is expected that the KWLC instructional model of this study can be actively used to help the student realize the subject from their own perspective through critical and integrative thinking.