Cognitive Modelling: A Case Study of Reading-to-Write Strategy Instruction and the Development of Second Language Writing Expertise in a University English for Academic Purposes Writing Course

This case study investigates how the teaching of cognitive strategies in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing course at a Canadian university occurs and relates to students' engagement in course writing tasks. While universities offer writing courses in order to improve academic writing skills, English Language Learners (ELL) may still be considered poor writers by mainstream standards. Perhaps the problem is not writing skill, but an ineffective linking of reading and writing strategic knowledge to the task at hand. Pedagogically interconnecting reading and writing skills reciprocally supports learner proficiency development, which may be enhanced by directly teaching awareness raising strategies.;This doctoral study seeks to investigate the declarative, procedural and conditional knowledge of what a teacher actually does in the classroom. This instrumental qualitative case study took place in a 10-week EAP writing course. Data collection involved classroom observation, open-ended interviews, reflective questionnaires and retrospective think-aloud tasks of 6 focal students. Analysis of the classroom observations, stimulated recalls, interviews and end-of-term questionnaires were thematically analysed for links between observed teaching activities and student perceived awareness of learning.;Taxonomies of teaching activities and learning activities incorporated five aspects of reading and writing behaviours. Teaching episodes are being analysed in one of three ways: Episodes of Raising Awareness (ERA), where teachers may only raise cognitive awareness by mentioning strategies for learning; Episodes of Strategy Explanation (ESE), where teachers explain and demonstrate the strategy; and Episodes of Cognitive Modelling (ECM), which entails the teacher verbalising by thinking aloud and demonstrating strategies as the expert. Student stimulated recalls were analysed as Episodes of Cognitive Learning (ECL). Analyses of the observations and the stimulated student recalls reveal results that link explicit teacher task modelling (ESEs and ECMs) by using think-alouds and demonstration to learner task awareness and strategy implementation. This study provides insights for researchers and educators across disciplines on the importance of the relationship between actively teaching cognitive strategies and how learners problem-solve or apply learning.