Exploring Collaborative Summary Writing Strategies and Interaction Patterns Among Korean EFL College Students

This study explores the collaborative strategies employed by EFL college students and the interaction patterns that emerge during the collaborative writing of summaries. It also examines students’ perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of these strategies and evaluates their effectiveness in producing high-quality summaries. Data were collected from 34 students enrolled in a 15-week advanced writing course through collaboratively written summaries, reflective journal entries, and interviews. The data were analyzed qualitatively, including thematic analysis of interviews and journals, along with rubric assessments of group summaries. Findings reveal that students utilized various collaborative strategies and interaction patterns to complete writing tasks. Although students acknowledged the benefits of collective scaffolding, they found negotiations and sharing opinions challenging. Regarding summary quality, the strategy where one person handled the final editing was rated the highest, while fully collaborative group work resulted in lower-quality summaries. These results suggest that an active group dynamic does not always lead to optimal outcomes. The study discusses implications for designing effective group writing activities and offers insights for educators aiming to enhance collaboration in EFL settings.