Mapping critical reading profiles in undergraduate research proposals: A study of final-year psychology students

Shofiah, Nurul and Putera, Zulmy Faqihuddin (2026) Mapping critical reading profiles in undergraduate research proposals: A study of final-year psychology students. Tabasa: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra Indonesia, dan Pengajarannya, 7 (2). pp. 424-440. ISSN 2746-0770

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Abstract

Although previous studies have examined critical reading primarily through tests, self-reports, and instructional interventions, limited research has explored how critical reading is manifested in undergraduate research proposals. Furthermore, little is known about the reading behaviors that underpin students' critical engagement with scholarly sources. Drawing on Wang and Gierl's (2011) conceptualisation of critical reading as a higher-order cognitive process, complemented by Paul and Elder's (2007) critical thinking framework, this study investigates critical reading skills and associated reading behaviors reflected in undergraduate research proposals. A qualitative content analysis was conducted on 30 undergraduate research proposals submitted by final-year psychology students at a public university in Malang, Indonesia. Participants were purposively selected from students who had completed their thesis proposal examinations during the 2021–2022 academic year. To enhance methodological triangulation, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants whose proposals were included in the analysis. The findings revealed two major patterns. First, students demonstrated relatively strong interpretive skills, particularly in identifying relevant sources and understanding explicit textual meaning. However, higher-order critical reading skills, including argument analysis, evaluation of conflicting evidence, inference, and synthesis, remained underdeveloped. Second, students seldom employed strategic reading behaviors such as note-taking, re-reading, cross-textual comparison, thematic organization, or visual mapping to support critical engagement with scholarly literature. These findings challenge the assumption that effective source use necessarily reflects well-developed critical reading competence. By linking textual evidence with students' reported reading behaviors, this study offers a more comprehensive understanding of critical reading in academic writing and highlights the need for explicit instruction, structured scaffolding, and targeted supervisory feedback to foster higher-order academic literacy.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Keywords:	academic literacy; content analysis; critical reading skills; research proposals; undergraduate writing
Subjects:	20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2003 Language Studies > 200313 Indonesian Languages 13 EDUCATION > 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy 20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2003 Language Studies 20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2005 Literary Studies
Divisions:	Faculty of Psychology > Department of Psychology
Depositing User:	Nurul Shofiah
Date Deposited:	18 Sep 2026 10:33

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