You know that to be able to pick a topic that is of interest to you, you need to understand the bigger picture. The teacher helps by showing documentaries and giving lectures on certain aspects of the topic. You also fill in the blanks by reading the textbook, reading the Wikipedia article on the topic and doing some general skimming of a number of sources. You're not in a particular rush to nail this topic down, because you know that the more time you spend looking at the broader subject, the better chance you will have of finding something that you connect with. You are constantly writing notes and jotting down questions to pursue further.
As the due date for the proposal starts to loom, you start reviewing your notes and questions. There are a few ideas that interest you and you look for patterns that might connect them. You narrow things down and identify your research question. Now the question is about how to present your topic.
This is a fairly common scenario with senior level students who have done a fair amount of research over the years. They have been taught some strategies for tackling research, but it is the final presentation of that research that causes the issues. There is a disconnect here as the student sees the presentation and the research as two, distinctly different processes.