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Concept mapping and achievement in secondary science
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Type
Thesis
Author
Mohamed Nasir Rahmat Ali
Supervisor
Chia, Lian Sai
Abstract
One of the main concerns in education today is helping students to learn how to learn. Concept learning in science forms the heart of science education. Concepts form the basis of all human thought processes. Scientific theories, principles and laws reflect a hierarchical structure of knowledge which generalises less inclusive concepts into larger and more inclusive concepts.
Concept mapping appears to be one of these strategies that can promote meaningful learning in science. Concept mapping is a process involving the explicit identification of concepts in a body of study material and organising these concepts into a hierarchical arrangement, linking the concepts together using propositions.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether concept mapping could be carried out in secondary science classes in Singapore. The research question sought to determine whether there was significant difference in achievement between the concept mapping and outlining groups after treatment.
A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest treatment was carried out using a single Achievement Test. A sample of 100 secondary three express stream students from three classes of a government school was selected. One class of 37 made up of 16 girls and 21 boys was left intact and taught using the outlining method. The other two classes were combined and divided into two groups. The concept mapping group and no treatment group were made up of 35 students (13 girls and 22 boys) and 28 students (9 girls and 19 boys) respectively. A pretest consisting of 29 items was administered to all three groups. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant difference in the means of the three groups. This indicated that the three groups are statistically equivalent before treatment.
The treatment was carried out for two sessions of three and a half hours each during the 1991 March vacation on the topic of magnetism and electromagnetism. The concept mapping group was instructed on concept mapping and drew concept maps before and after each lesson. The outlining group was instructed on the outlining method and drew topic outlines after each lesson.
An Attitudes Towards Concept Mapping (ATCM) scale was then administered to the concept mapping group to measure their attitudes towards the concept mapping strategy. A surprise posttest was carried out the following week to measure achievement and retention of concepts. A delayed posttest was administered three and a half months later to measure the retention of concepts and achievement of the three groups. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out on the posttest scores.
Concept mapping appears to be one of these strategies that can promote meaningful learning in science. Concept mapping is a process involving the explicit identification of concepts in a body of study material and organising these concepts into a hierarchical arrangement, linking the concepts together using propositions.
The purpose of this study was to examine whether concept mapping could be carried out in secondary science classes in Singapore. The research question sought to determine whether there was significant difference in achievement between the concept mapping and outlining groups after treatment.
A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest treatment was carried out using a single Achievement Test. A sample of 100 secondary three express stream students from three classes of a government school was selected. One class of 37 made up of 16 girls and 21 boys was left intact and taught using the outlining method. The other two classes were combined and divided into two groups. The concept mapping group and no treatment group were made up of 35 students (13 girls and 22 boys) and 28 students (9 girls and 19 boys) respectively. A pretest consisting of 29 items was administered to all three groups. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant difference in the means of the three groups. This indicated that the three groups are statistically equivalent before treatment.
The treatment was carried out for two sessions of three and a half hours each during the 1991 March vacation on the topic of magnetism and electromagnetism. The concept mapping group was instructed on concept mapping and drew concept maps before and after each lesson. The outlining group was instructed on the outlining method and drew topic outlines after each lesson.
An Attitudes Towards Concept Mapping (ATCM) scale was then administered to the concept mapping group to measure their attitudes towards the concept mapping strategy. A surprise posttest was carried out the following week to measure achievement and retention of concepts. A delayed posttest was administered three and a half months later to measure the retention of concepts and achievement of the three groups. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out on the posttest scores.
Date Issued
1992
Call Number
Q181 Moh
Date Submitted
1992