Research Proposal (Draft)

Background :

The 21st century has marked a significant shift in the conception of writing as a
pedagogical activity. In this sense, it is currently considered one of the most critical
skills that second language learners must master (Hyland, 2003). However, this shift
from viewing writing as a mere expressive activity to an essential pedagogical
activity (Hyland, 2003) presents challenges for students in higher education. When
instructed to produce a coherent english composition, students often struggle to put
their plethora of ideas into words due to insufficient planning, essentially during
argumentative academic writing tasks. In this vein, students often experience
cognitive load, defined as the mental effort needed to process and organize complex
information (Sweller, 2011), which can disrupt the logical flow of their arguments
during writing tasks. Hence, pre-writing strategies have been recognized as integral
tools for assisting students in overcoming such writing challenges. Hyland (2003),
for instance, emphasized the role of structured pre-writing activities in enhancing
writing quality, which refers to the clarity, coherence, and logical organization of
arguments. In fact, it was found that when engaged in pre-writing activities, students
produced more coherent and logically organized argumentative compositions.
Similarly, Flower and Hayes (1981) considered planning an important part of the
writing process because it aids writers with goal-setting, organization of ideas, and
essay structure.

One of the most effective strategies outlined in this research is mind mapping, a
visual brainstorming technique that involves creating diagrams to organize
information and ideas visually (Buzan, 2010). Such a tool not only assists students
in organizing information but may also alleviate cognitive load during writing tasks.
According to Buzan (2010), one of the pioneers of mind mapping, this technique of
creating diagrams allows individuals to organize and structure their thoughts. In
fact, Al-Shaer's (2014)’s study focused on integrating concept mapping as a pre-
writing strategy for EFL learners and demonstrated significant improvements in the
structure of students’ essays. Al-Shaer’s work, thus, delineates the importance of
 incorporating visual-based tools in the classroom such as concept or mind maps.
However, his study's prime focus was individual pre-writing strategies rather than
collaborative ones. A more recent study by Bolatli and Bolatli (2024), also explored
the impact of concept mapping on students' cognitive load and academic success in
a medical educational context. Their findings showed that concept mapping
significantly lowered cognitive load and improved academic performance in an
anatomy course. This aligns with the cognitive load theory proposed by Sweller
(2011), which suggests that instructional tools such as concept maps can ease the
mental strain associated with complex tasks. Despite its efficacy, one of the
limitations of Bolati and Bolati's research is its sole focus on individualized mind
maps. Hence, it is crucial to delve into collaborative mind maps in the context of
academia and demonstrate their effect on students’ cognition. Collaborative mind
mapping, a process in which students collectively develop and organize a visual
representation of their ideas, however, « may not be widely recognized at the
moment » (Koznov, D., & Pliskin, M, 2008). Thus, this study aims to bridge this
gap by demonstrating the impact of collaborative mind mapping on cognitive load
and writing quality among Tunisian undergraduates and demonstrate the
effectiveness of pre-writing strategies in planning for writing tasks.

Statement of the problem :

The conception of writing has drastically evolved over the past few
decades. Instead of viewing it as a mere expressive linear process,
Flower and Hayes (1981) challenged this traditional view by
introducing a cognitive model to the writing process. This model, in
turn, has emphasized the dynamic nature of writing and its
complexity as a cognitive activity. They argue that distinct cognitive
processes are involved in composing a piece of writing (Flower &
Hayes, 1981). From a purely pedagogical perspective, the task of
writing, thus, is an activity that is highly linked to students' cognitive
processing. In this sense, writing is a cognitively demanding activity
that requires considerable mental effort ( Sebi̇T. S& Yildiz, S, 2020).
For instance, during argumentative writing tasks, students often
experience cognitive load when composing a piece of writing due to
the large amount of information they are exposed to and their
insufficient planning. Thus, it is instrumental to address this challenge
through the integration of pre-writing strategies (Al-Shaer, 2014;
Flower & Hayes, 1981). While the existing literature has laid the
groundwork for the benefits of pre-writing strategies particularly
individual mind mapping for reducing cognitive load and improving
writing quality (Bolati and Bolati,2024) ,the impact of collaborative
approaches, particularly in higher education, remains under-explored.
Al-Shaer (2014) and Bolatli & Bolatli (2024) have demonstrated that
visual tools, such as concept or mind maps, aid in organizing ideas
and lowering cognitive demands. In this sense, Mind-mapping
strategies may be efficient in all kinds of intellectual activities.
(Koznov, D., & Pliskin, M, 2008) However, these studies primarily
focused on individualized mind maps rather than collaborative ones
and did not address the issue of cognitive load. Hence, the purpose of
this study is to fill this gap by primarily investigating the impact of
collaborative mind mapping on reducing cognitive load and enhancing
the quality of argumentative writing among Tunisian undergraduate
students. Through its experimental design, this research will
emphasize the role of mind-mapping pre-writing strategies in
minimizing the cognitive load that students experience during
argumentative writing tasks. Essentially, it will explore how
collaborative learning during the pre-writing phase can contribute to
more effective cognitive processing and idea organization, leading to
improved writing outcomes and reduced cognitive load. The results of
this study might significantly contribute to the innovation of
educational practices that support students in managing cognitive
challenges during demanding writing tasks.

Research Objectives :

Aim :
To investigate the impact of collaborative mind mapping on reducing cognitive load and
enhancing writing quality during argumentative pre-writing tasks among Tunisian
undergraduate learners.

Sub-Objectives:

To explore the effect of collaborative mind maps on students' cognitive processing and
idea organization in argumentative essay writing sessions.

To assess the impact of collaborative mind mapping on the quality of students' written
arguments.

To investigate the students’ attitudes towards traditional pre-writing strategies and

collaborative mind mapping

To analyze the specific strategies and techniques that students employ during
collaborative mind mapping sessions.

To introduce innovative and effective pre-writing strategies in educational settings

Methodology :
Study Setting and Population :
This research will be conducted at the Faculty of Letters and Humanities of Sfax,
specifically in the English Department. The choice of this setting is primarily justified
by the convenience and accessibility of the faculty's resources, as well as the presence
of my target population: undergraduate English students, including 1st, 2nd graders.
Such a setting will facilitate the process of data collection and the selection of my
sample. The main rationale behind the choice of Tunsian undergraduates as my target
population is the significant number of classes in first graders which ensures
representativeness and reliability of the data.
Participants and Sampling :
The sample will include at least 40 participants, selected randomly through a careful
procedure to ensure representativeness. This sampling approach is intended to provide a
reliable basis for comparison between the experimented groups. Since my research is
experimental in nature, these groups will be divided into two groups, 20 students
selected for each group who will be part of a treatment and a control group. These
participants will undergo a careful procedure of treatment with collaborative mind
mapping for 4 weeks before taking the post writing test.
Research Design :
Through an experimental and mixed-method design, participants, in this study, will be
divided into two groups: a treatment group and a control group. The control group will,
for instance, employ traditional methods in pre-writing tasks. In contrast, the
experimental or treatment group will experiment with collaborative mind-mapping
techniques and use them as a pre-writing strategy. In this case, the researcher will
conduct a pre-test and a post-test to evaluate the significance of improvement in both
groups in terms of cognitive load and writing quality. Applying a mixed-methods
design, in this sense, ensures not only reliable results but also well-justified and valid
methods.
Instruments :
Various instruments and resources will be used for this research, including mindmaps,
writing tasks , questionnaires, scoring rubrics, and a cognitive load scale (NASA-TLX
Scale).

Data Collection :
To collect data, both quantitative and qualitative methods will be employed. Students
will complete a pre-test and a post-test to evaluate their writing quality and perceived
cognitive load. Collaborative mind maps will be used as tools for intervention and pre-
writing strategies. Following the intervention, students will complete a questionnaire to
assess their cognitive load during the writing task and to gather their opinions on
working with collaborative mind maps. The NASA-TLX scale will be used to measure
cognitive load while writing quality will be assessed using specific rubrics focusing on
coherence, idea organization, vocabulary, and grammar.
Data Analysis :
Statistical and qualitative approaches will be used to analyze the collected data.
Quantitative data, including writing scores and cognitive load questionnaires, will be
analyzed using the statistical software SPSS 23 to determine mean differences and
significance levels between the control and treatment groups. In this case, the researcher
will resort to independent t-tests or ANOVA to compare the differences between the
two groups. However, qualitative data will mainly be applied to identify recurrent
patterns in the data and explain the role of collaborative mindmaps on cognitive load
and writing quality.
Procedure :
This study will have three distinct stages: a pre-phase, an intervention phase, and a post-
phase. To gather relevant data for the study, the researcher will first seek permission
from the administration of the Faculty of Letters and Humanities of Sfax, in particular
the English Department. Then, participants will be randomly selected and divided into
two groups: a control group and a treatment group. The researcher will explain the aims
of the research to the participants, ask for their consent, and assure them of the
anonymity of their responses before starting the intervention.

Both groups will be assigned a pre-test as a baseline measure. This phase will evaluate
writing in terms of coherence, idea organization, vocabulary, and grammar, and assess
their cognitive load during the process since writing is a mentally challenging task.
Then, all the participants will have a NASA-TLX scale applied after the pre-test to
evaluate their cognitive load experienced during the activity.
While the treatment group will participate in collaborative mind mapping sessions as a
pre-writing strategy, the control group will use traditional methods such as tables, and
linear outlines to prepare for the main writing task. During these sessions, participants
from the treatment group will brainstorm ideas, organize thoughts, and structure
arguments visually with mind maps. The researcher will record the interactions, and
strategies used by the treatment group during the mind-mapping process.
After the intervention, both groups will complete a post-test writing task under similar
conditions to the pre-test. Writing quality will be assessed using specific scoring rubrics
and Cognitive Load will be measured again with the NASA-TLX scale.
Finally, a questionnaire will be distributed to all participants to gather feedback on their
experiences, focusing on the treatment group's views on collaborative mind mapping.
Tentative Outline :

1- Introduction

1- Rationale and Background of the Study

1-1- Importance of Writing Skills in academic contexts
1-2- Writing as a cognitive process
1-3- Writing challenges for second language learners : Cognitive Load
1-4- Mind mapping as a pre-writing strategy
2- Research questions and objectives

3- The Scope of the study

4- Significance of the Study .

2- Literature Review

2-1- Theoretical Framework

2-2- Cognitive Processing Theory and its relation to
writing
2-3- Writing as a cognitive process ( Flower and Hayes’s
model)
2-4- Cognitive Load Theory
2-5- Collaborative learning
2-6- Mind mapping ; Individualized versus Collaborative
Mind Mapping
 2-7- Traditional Mind mapping versus Computerized Mind
Mapping
2-8- Previous research on Collaborative learning and its
role in cognitive processing
2-9- Previous research on individualized mind mapping
and its role in enhancing writing quality
3- Methodology

3-1 – Setting

3-2-- Population and Sample

3-3-- Research Design: Mixed- methods /Experimental

3-4- Research Procedure

3-5- Data Collection

3-6 -Data Analysis..

4- Results and Discussion

4-1- Findings on students’ perceived cognitive load
4-2- Findings on students’ improved writing quality
4-3- Questionnaire results
4-4- Summary of the main findings
4-5- Educational implications
5- Conclusion
5-1- Limitations of the study
5-2- Directions for future research
Bibliography :

Works cited:

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EFL learners. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 5(2), 414-420.
https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0502.06

Bolatli, A. B., & Bolatli, M. S. (2024). The impact of concept mapping on students'
cognitive load and academic success in a medical education context. Medical Education
Research, 58(2), 345-353.

Buzan, T. (2010). The Mind Map Book: Unlock your creativity, boost your memory,
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Flower, L., & Hayes, J. R. (1981). A cognitive process theory of writing. College
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Hyland, K. (2003). Second language writing. Cambridge University Press.

Koznov, D., & Pliskin, M. (2008). Computer-supported collaborative learning with
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Sweller, J. (2011). Cognitive load theory. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 55,
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