ESEM5133 CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

CHAPTER 1 RESEARCH PROBLEM

1.1 Introduction

This research investigated the effectiveness of using concept mapping in the teaching and learning of Science. According to Fernandez and Placing (2000) meaningful learning results when a person consciously and explicitly ties new knowledge to relevant concepts they already process. They added that Ausubels learning theory suggests that when meaningful learning occurs, it produces a series of changes within our entire cognitive structure, modifying exiting concepts and forming new linkages between concepts. Teaching has been considered the act of transferring information from the teacher to the learner who was seen as empty vessel to be filled with knowledge. This view of learning was due to the popularity of behaviourist learning theories which focused on how the presentation of the information affected learning outcomes (Weinstein & Mayer, 1986). Therefore, it was not surprising that the art of teaching became the art of presenting information. Concept mapping can promote efficient and meaningful learning by connecting prior knowledge to new ones (Novak & Gowin, 1984; White & Gunstone, 1992). Jegede, Alaiyemola, and Okebukola (1990) have maintained that concept mapping serves as a tool to help learners organize their cognitive frameworks into more powerful integrated patterns. Thus this paper investigates the effectiveness of concept mapping in helping students to actively develop their understandings that assist them to link the science content with appropriate learning practice. 1.2 Background of the Research Concept maps have been used in education, policy studies and the philosophy of science to provide a visual representation of knowledge structures and argument forms. Prof. Joseph D. 1

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Novak at Cornell University in the 1960s, developed this concept mapping as an aid to learning, assess understanding and to avoid misunderstanding. Studies of memory indicate that the brain will forget 80 percent of detail within 24 hours of having learned it, and 99 percent within two weeks. One of the greatest demotivators for a student is to learn appropriate information, then to lose almost all of it within a fortnight. As a result, many teachers with the honest intention of motivating and teaching their students were actually demotivating them. Bate and Sharpe (1990) reported that users of concept map comprehend knowledge structures in semantic networks more readily than in textual form. It was less constrictive and was selfperpetuating with feedback loops. It was hoped to function as a powerful tool when learning Science. 1.3 Statement of the Problem Teachers hardly used concept mapping when teaching Science to their students. According to Lloyd (1996) concept mapping technique will let the students to learn visually and remember facts better. Concept maps are two or three dimensional spatial or graphic displays that make use of labeled nodes to represent concepts and lines or arcs to represent relationships between pairs of concepts. It has been suggested that their structure parallels the human cognitive structure, as they show how learners organize concepts (Novak & Gowin, 1984; Fisher et al, 1990; Tippings, & Gallard, 1994). Thus, this research will prove the effectiveness of using concept mapping by Science teachers to help their students in learning Science effectively. 1.4 Conceptual Framework This research was an attempt to establish the effectiveness of using concept mapping in teaching Science to Form One Students. The figure 1 below was the conceptual framework. The outcomes of the treatment was the students performances, motivation and preferences towards the teaching method.

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Figure 1: Conceptual Framework Students performances, motivation and learning preferences

Concept Mapping

1.5

Purpose of the Research

The main purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of using concept mapping in teaching Science to Form One students. Secondly, it was to fulfill the requirements of the research in HBEF 4106 School-Based Research. The research objectives, questions and hypotheses were in the following sections.

1.5.1 Research Objectives This research intends to meet the following objectives. i. To examine whether the concept mapping technique can be an effective means of instruction in teaching Science to Form One students. ii. To examine whether the concept mapping technique can help students to perform better in their Science. iii. To examine whether the concept mapping technique can motivate students in learning Science.

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1.5.2 Research Questions The following research questions are formulated in order to meet the research objectives. i. Can using concept mapping be an effective means of instruction in teaching Science to Form One students? ii. How and to what extend are concept mapping significant in helping students to perform better in their Science? iii. Are students more motivated in learning Science after using concept mapping?

1.6 Significance of the Research This research provides an alternative approach to help students that are weak in Science. It is vital for teachers to have a wide variety of method to use in their classes (Sarasin, 1999). The need for teachers to use diverse learning styles has also been recognized in general (Claxton and Murrell, 1987) Therefore, using Concept Maps as an in class exercise is one tool that Science teachers can add to their portfolio of active learning activities as they seek to move beyond chalk and talk (Becker and Watts, 1996). Concept Maps are an effective study technique when used to improve factual recall from written material. Beside that, it is also to contribute to the lack of research in this area. This study hopes to provide a significant insight in explaining the role of concept mapping which aided the students in the teaching and learning of Science.

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1.7 Limitations of the Research There were some limitations to this research which the researcher feels can be overcome with a more in-depth study carried out on the topic. Areas that hinder this research are, i. Students might not know and not familiar with concept mapping and this might affected the time taken to teach them to draw the Concept Maps. ii. Some students are weak in their Science, thus making it difficult for them to generate ideas to draw the Concept Maps. iii. . 1.8 Definition of Terms Concept Maps John Langan (2000) defines concept mapping as helpful for people who like to do their thinking in a visual way. It uses lines, boxes, arrows and circles to show relationships among the ideas and details. It provides an early sense of how ideas and details relate to one another. Concept mapping is a technique for representing knowledge in graphs. These graphs consist of nodes and links. Nodes represent concepts and links represent relationship between the concepts (Novak and Govin, 1984). Nodes (often circles) represent various concepts and ideas; and links (lines/arrows) represent the relationships between concepts (Lanzing, 1997). The time constrain of only 6 weeks or 10 sessions, might not show the significant effect of the learning outcomes.

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Branches An idea may branch many times to include both closely and distantly related ideas. Arrows You may want to use arrows to join ideas from different branches. Groupings If a number of branches contain related ideas, you may want to draw a circle around the whole area.

1.8 Summary This research investigates the effectiveness of using concept mapping in teaching and learning Science in Form One students. The objectives of this research are to determine whether concept mapping can be an alternative effective means to help students to learn Science.

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CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction This chapter presents an overview of using Concept Maps in teaching and learning Science to Primary Six students in Sekolah Kebangsaan Penampang. The literature review examined related studies which were carried out by other researchers. All discussion in this chapter was centered around the key factors of concept mapping in teaching Science which is the main interest of this study. 2.2 What is a Concept Map? Concept Maps were introduced by Novak (1993) is a process of representing the knowledge structures used in learning in a two dimensional graphic arrangements including the labeling and linking of concepts to form associates, hierarchies or propositions. There are four major categories of concept maps. These are distinguished by their different format for representing information. Examples of the various types of concept maps are presented below. 2.2.1 Four Major Categories of Concept Maps: (Adapted from: Graphic Organizers concept mapping mind mapping inspiration) a. Spider Concept Map The Spider Concept Map was organized by placing the central theme or unifying factor in the center of the map. Outwardly radiating sub-themes surround the center of the map.

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b.

Hierarchy Concept Map The hierarchy concept map presents information in a descending order of importance. The most important information is placed on the top. Distinguishing factors determine the placement of the information.

c.

Flowchart Concept Map The flowchart concept map organizes information in a linear format.

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d.

Systems Concept Map The systems concept map organizes information in a format which is similar to a flowchart with the addition of INPUTS and OUTPUTS.

2.3 How are Concept Maps made? Concept-Mapping was a tool for assisting and enhancing many of the types of thinking and learning. To draw a concept map, write the main idea in the centre of the page, it may be a word, a phrase, or an idea, and then place related ideas on branches that radiate from this central idea. Steps below showed how to make a Concept Map (adapted from Learning Skills Program on Concept Mapping)
i. ii. iii. iv.

Write in capitals and to keep the points brief. Use unlined paper. If you must use lined paper, turn it so the lines are vertical. Use paper with no previous writing on it. Connect all words or phrases or lists with lines, to the centre or to other branches. When you get a new idea, start again with a new spoke from the centre. Go quickly, without pausing, try to keep up with the flow of ideas. Do not stop to decide where something should go i.e. to order or organize material, just get it down. Ordering and analyzing are linear activities and will disrupt the flow in the process.

v.

vi.

Write down everything you can think of without judging or editing, these activities will also disrupt the process. If you come to a standstill, look over what you have done to see if you have left anything out. 9

vii.

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viii.

You may want to use color-coding, to group sections of the Concept Map.

2.4 Concept Maps in the Teaching and Learning of Science Science teachers using lecture and rote learning has been greatly reduced. The teachers role is seen more as a coach and a facilitator of learning rather than a supplier of knowledge. They gave students more control over the process of learning by emphasizing the need to learn how to learn. The process of concept mapping can reduce the need for rote memory and make learning more meaningful (Novak, 1998). For one thing, the actual physical production, drawing, connecting, writing, and the visual aspects, in conjunction with the thought process involved in organizing the map reinforce and deepen comprehension (Wilkes, Cooper & Lewin, 1999). Students who were used to being given information by their teachers can be slow to warm up to concept mapping. They will find it much more challenging to construct a meaningful relationship on their own rather than having it fed to them by the instructor (Novak, 1998). Therefore it may be assumed that if students are going to acquire the use of concept mapping and incorporate it into their way of successful study habits, they must accept its benefits. It may also be said that for teachers to use concept maps effectively and consistently, they must also be able to see evidence of their benefits. This study is designed to test the effectiveness of concept mapping in improving reading comprehension of a science related text when compared to reading a similar text without using any graphic organizers. In recent years cognitive scientists emphasized the study of how information is stored and processed in memory. They view learners as processors of information who use a variety of strategies to store and retrieve knowledge (Weinstein & McDonald, 1986). Thus the learner is a person who can engage in activities that will aid in the processing of information. Such mental activities help people to acquire, organize, and remember incoming knowledge more efficiently (Park, 1995). 2.5 Related Literature

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Visual learning techniques such as graphical ways of working with ideas and presenting information helps to teach students to clarify their thinking, and to process, organize and prioritize new information. Visual diagrams reveal patterns, interrelationships and inter dependencies. They also stimulate creative thinking. (Drapeau, 1998) Visual learning techniques help students to clarify their thinking (Anders and Beech, 1990). Students see how ideas are connected and realize how information can be grouped or organized. With visual learning, new concepts are easily understood. It can reinforce understanding. Students recreate, in their own words, what theyve learned. This helps them absorb and internalize new information, giving them ownership of their ideas. Integrate new knowledge with diagrams updated throughout a lesson can prompt students to build upon prior knowledge and internalize new information (Buzan, 1983). By reviewing diagrams created previously, students see how facts and ideas fit together. Thus, students can identify misconceptions. Just as a concept map or web shows what students know, misdirected links or wrong connections reveal what they don't understand. (Bellanca, 1990; Drapeau, 1998). Six uses of concept maps were identified by White and Gunstone (1992) and these were: to explore understanding of a limited aspect of the topic; to check whether learners understand the purpose of instruction; to see whether learners can make links between concepts; to identify changes that learners make in relationships between concepts; to find out which concepts are regarded as key ones; and to promote learner discussion. When students construct concept maps they identify and define important concepts or ideas and graphically represent interrelationships among concepts (White & Gunstone, 1992). The resulting Concept Map represents a spatial organisation of their knowledge. As the links in this structure are labelled, and the concepts fully described, the map becomes of greater value to the students. While this part of the process is crucial, it is not an easy task and White and Gunstone (1992) report that students find this part to be a most tedious and they would skip it if they could. Even though the physical part of the Concept Maps process is not easy, students still have to apply their current knowledge when they construct their map (Wheatley, 1991). Drapeau (1998) states that in general if students persist at creating Concept Maps, they report that their revision process has become easier and they gained better understanding of the Science lessons. Students 11

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can then use this map as a framework to which they can attach additional information such as, they can turn the Concept Map into a lecturer-guided formative organizer. This strategy allows students to compare knowledge structures and to identify any misconceptions they have about the Science material presented. Concept Maps can be a productive way to study for an exam, particularly if the emphasis of the subject is on understanding and applying abstract, theoretical material, rather than on simply reproducing memorized information (Drapeau, 1998). Doing a concept Map of the subject content can point out the most important concepts and principles, and allow students to see the ways in which they fit together. This may also help students to see their weak areas, and help them to focus on their studying.

2.6 Summary In conclusion most of the past researches revealed that concept mapping developed by Novak influences the learning skills among students especially in Science. It identifies the way students think and see relationships between knowledge. The main contribution of this technique is the impact towards the students motivation and performances in their Science.

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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3.1 Introduction This research investigated the effectiveness of using concept mapping as a means to help students in their Science lesson. This chapter contained the complete research design, population and sample, research instruments, procedure for data collection and the procedures for data analyses. 3.2 Research Design The sample taken into consideration was a class of average performance of Primary Six students from Sekolah Kebangsaan Penampang. Method of data analysis was data preparation, counting, regrouping, relating, predicting and statistical testing from the responses of questionnaires and tests. 3.3 Population and Sample The population and sample for this research is a class of Primary Six students in a Sekolah Kebangsaan Penampang. The participants for this research are 50 from Perdana and Waja students in an average class. 3.4 Research Instruments The research instruments employed for this research was a set of questionnaire, survey, interview and tests (pre-test and post-test). Questionnaires used in this researched was modified and adapted from Clanchy, B & Ballard, B. ( 1997 ) solely for the purpose of this research. Minimal changes was done but without losing the direction of the contents that were tested. The questionnaire is to seek the students background and prior knowledge of concept mapping. 13

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(Appendix 1) It was also to get the students feedback on the effectiveness of using concept mapping in learning Science. The pre-test and post-test was to see the differences in the students performances. It was to determine the effectiveness of using concept mapping in the teaching and learning Science.

3.5 Procedure for Data Collection The data for this research was collected through questionnaires,survey,interview and tests taken by the students. The details of the procedures was as the following. Step One The researcher observed an on-going Science lesson in the classroom. This will take 1 hour. Step Two The researcher gave the students a test (pre-test) without teaching them concept mapping. Step Three The students were taught the Science lesson using the features of the concept map. Step Four Step Five The students were asked to take another test (post-test). A set of questionnaire to obtain the students background information, their prior knowledge on concept mapping and their view on the effectiveness of using concept mapping in learning Science.

3.6 Procedure for Data Analyses 14

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Procedure for data analyses in this research was mainly through questionnaires and tests. The data collected from the students was analyzed using the statistical method. how the data analyses are employed was explained in the following: Step 1. Step 2. Frequencies and percentages was used to describe the profile of the respondents. Frequencies and percentages was used to determine the respondents preference and motivation after learning through concept mapping. Step 3. Means was used to describe the performance of the respondents. (Results from pre-test and post-test) The procedure on

3.7 Summary This methodology of this research is based on a simple research design limited by a number of factors. The effectiveness of using concept mappings technique to enhance writing ideas is determine through a quasi-experiment method in learning science. The research design was simple but quite effective in collecting adequate and appropriate data for the purpose of identifying the effectiveness of concept mappings method for idea generation and organization in writing stage.

CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH RESULT

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4.1

Introduction

The main discussions in this chapter focuses on the research conducted to examining the effectiveness of using concept mappings technique in teaching science in Primary Six students in motivating students to write and answer the questions.

4.2

Profile of respondents

The respondents profile is shown in the table 4.1. Majority of the respondents involved in this research are males (60.6 percent) and only 39.4 percent of them are females. Most of the respondents are Kadazan (39 percent) followed by Malay (36.4 percent), Chinese (9.1 percent) and others (15.2 percent). The respondents father occupation mostly working in private sector (38.7 percent), followed by government (29 percent), self employed (29 percent) and retired (3.2 percent). During the UPSR examination, majority of the respondents involved in this research scored grade D (56.3 percent), followed by grade C (31.3 percent), grade B (9.4 percent) and grade A (3.1 percent). The mother tongues of the respondents mostly are Kadazan (42.4 percent), Malay (27.3 percent), English (9.1 percent) and others (18.2 percent).

Table 4.1:
No

Respondents Profile for Primary Six Perdana and Waja

Description Frequency Percentage

Profile

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Gender

Race

Father occupation

Mother occupation

UPSR Result

Mother tongues

Favorite language book

Favorite story book

male female Total malay Kadazan chinese others Total government private retired self employed Total government private selfemployed Housewife Total A B C D Total Melayu Kadazan Chinese English Others Total English Bahasa Malaysia Total Adventure Horror Others Total

17 33 50 18 24 3 5 50 17 20 4 9 50 14

10
6 20 50 2 38 10 50 16 14 6

8
6 50 18 32 50 24 16 10 50

34.0 66.0 100 36.0 48.0 6.0 10.0 100 34.0 40.0 8.0 18.0 100 28.0 20.0 12.0 40.0 100 4.0 76.0 20.0 100 32.0 28.0 12.0 16.0 12.0 100 36.0 64.0 100 48.0 32.0 20.0 100

4.3 Research Findings The research findings tell about the result of the study (Sweet and Grace)- Martin (2000). The finding related to the research questions which previously stated in the chapter one. 17

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4.3.1 Questionnaire Set 1 Table 4.2 shows the summary of all the respondents responds towards the using of concept mappings technique . The table which shown in Table 4.2 indicates that the responds from the respondents. For item 1, 75 percent of the respondents showed their interest in using concept mapping with 75 percent chose the option Strongly Agree and Agree while for the option Strongly Disagree and Disagree (15 percent) and 10 percent chose the option Neither, which means that the respondents are still confusing of using mind mapping in their study. For item 2, 15 percent of the respondents chose Strongly Disagree and Disagree, 10 percent choose Neither and 75 percent of them choose Strongly Agree and Agree. This result showed that the respondents do not have any technique to learn science before the introducing of concept mapping. For item 3, after the concept mapping was introduced to the respondents, 60 percent of them chose Strongly Agree and Agree, 30 percent chose Strongly Disagree and Disagree and only 10 percent that is one respondent still did not know how to use concept mapping in the study. For item 4,5,6 and 8, most of the respondents indicated that by using concept mapping in their study, they gained lots of benefits and improved their result in science subject. They became more motivated in learning science subject and their interest towards the subject was increased. For item 9, 80 percent prefer to learn science subject using concept mappings, 14 percent did not like to use the concept and 6 percent was still confused. The overall results gave the impression that the respondents did have a positive attitude towards the using of concept mappings technique. This is showed in item 10, which 70 percent of the respondents had indicated agreement (Strongly Agree and Agree) to most of the items.

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Table 4.2 : Result of QS1 of 6 Perdana and Waja ITEM

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I believe Concept Maps help me to improved my Science results. I have become more confidence in learning Science I am more organized in my work. I am more motivated to learn Science using Concept Maps. I prefer to learn Science using Concept Maps. I will continue to use Concept Maps when learning Science. KEY : SD D A SA N Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Neither I do not have a technique to help me learn Science before. I think the present technique taught by my teacher helps me in learning Science. I have improved my Science results.

STATEMENT
I know what concept mapping is now.

SD 1
2 (5%) 2 (5%)

D 2

N 3

A 4

SA 5

T
25 (100%) 25 (100%) 25 (100%) 25 (100%) 25 (100%) 25 (100%) 25 (100%) 25 (100%) 25 (100%) 25 (100%)

4 4 5 10 (10%) (10%) (25%) (50%) 4 4 5 10 (10%) (10%) (25%) (50%)

2 2 1 10 10 (15%) (15%) (10%) (30%) (30%) 3 (7%) 3 (7%) 2 (6%) 7 10 (30%) (50%)

2 3 2 8 10 (6%) (8%) (6%) (30%) (50%) 4 3 4 1 12 (12%) (10%) (12%) (6%) (60%) 3 2 2 3 15 (12%) (8%) (8%) (12%) (60%) 2 2 3 3 15 (8%) (8%) (12%) (12%) (60%) 3 3 2 7 10 (7%) (7%) (6%) (30%) (50%) 2 2 2 4 15 (10%) (10%) (10%) (20%) (50%)

Table 4.3 : Pre and Post Results of QS1 for Primary Six Perdana and Waja ITEM STATEMENT SD Pre Post Pre D Post Pre A Post Pre SA Post 19

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10

I know what concept mapping is now. I do not have a technique to help me learn Science before. I think the present technique taught by my teacher helps me in learning Science. I have improved my Science results. I believe Concept Maps help me to improved my Science results. I have become more confidence in learning Science I am more organized in my work. I am more motivated to learn Science using Concept Maps. I prefer to learn Science using Concept Maps. I will continue to use Concept Maps when learning Science.

6 (24%)

8 (32%)

5 (20%)

11 (44%)

11 (44%)

4 (16%)

3 (12%)

2 (8%)

3 (12%)

1 (4%)

6 (24%)

4 (16%)

11 (44%)

9 (36%)

5 (20%)

11 (44%)

6 (24%)

6 (24%)

9 (36%)

11 (44%)

6 (24%)

4 (16%)

4 (16%)

4 (16%)

3 (12%)

2 (8%)

6 (24%)

3 (12%)

10 (40%)

13 (52%)

6 (24%)

7 (28%)

2 (8%)

1 (4%)

7 (28%)

5 (20%)

12 (48%)

13 (52%)

4 (16%)

6 (24%)

3 (12%)

1 (4%)

4 (16%)

4 (16%)

13 (52%)

12 (48%)

5 (20%)

8 (32%)

3 (12%)

2 (8%)

11 (44%)

9 (36%)

6 (24%)

11 (44%)

5 (20%)

3 (12%)

3 (12%)

1 (4%)

2 (8%)

1 (4%)

12 (48%)

13 (52%)

8 (32%)

10 (40%)

3 (12%)

4 (16%)

2 (8%)

3 (12%)

10 (40%)

14 (56%)

10 (40%)

4 (16%)

3 (12%)

3 (12%)

4 (16%)

3 (12%)

9 (36%)

10 (40%)

9 (36%)

9 (36%)

4.4

Analysis of Pre-Test and Post-Test

A frequency count was first made of students performance in each of the two tests (Pre-Test and Post-Test) and the result are shown. 20

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Table 4.4 : Students performance for pre -test

Score 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Perdana Frequency Percentage 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 8 8 8 4 4 8 8 8 8 12 8 8 8

Waja Frequency Percentage

2 3 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 2 2

8 12 8 8 8 16 8 8 8 8 8

Table 4.5 : Sstudents performance for post -test

Score

Perdana

Waja 21

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20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Frequency 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 5

Percentage 12 8 12 8 8 8 12 20

Frequency 1 3 1 8 2 2 2 1 3 2

Percentage 4 12 4 32 8 8 8 4 12 8

1 1 1

4 4 4

From Table 4.5, we see that the students performed marginally better than in the initial results. Looking at the overall scores in the post-test, it was observed that they were now equally spread out and the students outperformed.

Table 4.6 : Mean Score for the students N 50 LOWEST SCORE HIGHEST SCORE MEAN 18.5 22

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PRE-TEST POST-TEST 50

9 16

28 37 26.5

The mean test scores of the students in the post-test tended to suggest that the using of concept maps programme is much more better and effective . 4.5 Summary

The findings revealed that the using of mind mapping programme in students study is effective in teaching science and answering the multiple choice question. The programme has given a positive impact on the students in motivating and improving their test performance and score.

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

5.1 Introduction 23

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This chapter discusses the research result by relating the findings to answer the research questions. The discussion touched on the research objectives, its implication, the limitation encountered during the course of this study.

5.2

Research summary This research verified the effectiveness of using concept mapping in teaching science to Primary Six students. The sample for this research was a class of 50 Primary Six students at Sekolah Kebangsaan Penampang. The research instruments employed for this is a sets of questionnaire, pre-test and posttest. The questionnaire used in this research was modified and adapted from Robb and Sausser ( 1989 : 7 ). It consisted of administering a questionnaire to obtain the students background information and their prior knowledge on concept mapping. There was a pre-test and post-test to see and to determine the effectiveness of the concept mapping technique in motivating the students to improve the students score in their test. The procedure for data collection employed in this research was mainly through the questionnaire, pre-test and post-test. The data collected from students was analyzed using Tables. The analysis determined the reliability of the entire data used through testing for consistency. It is also used descriptive analysis to determine the frequency distribution of all the variables deployed in testing of the data.

5.3

Discussion of Research Findings

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This research examines the effectiveness of using concept mapping in the teaching of science subject. In particular, this study has a structure that focuses on the following : 1. To understand the relationship between concept mapping technique applied and the increase of students in generating ideas as an effective means in a pre-test and post-test to write better subjective answer. 2. To examine whether teaching concept mapping by the teacher enables the students to write better subjective questions. 3. To identify the link between concept mapping that can increase the students score in answering subjective questions. Therefore, this chapter will cover the findings of the research result and the relationship of concept mapping.

5.3.1

Discussion of the relationship between concept mapping technique applied and the increase of students in generating ideas as an effective means in a pre-test and post-test to write better subjective answer.

Concept mapping is a powerful tool for linking knowledge and could be a key to developing strong performance assessments that ought to be designed to generate both an assessment of how students are applying concepts and to assess the deep understanding that students are gaining. According to Plotnick (1997), researchers began to study the concept-mapping technique in the 1960s based on the theories of Ausubel (1968), concepts. Since then, concept mapping has been gaining inroads as a tool who stressed the important role of prior knowledge in learning about new to enhance problem solving in education. 25

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It is clear from this research that the students had an advantage as they had improved more in their test score through the concept mapping technique. The students perform better in the pre-test where 18 (64 percent) of them scored 10 points and above 7 (out of maximum 20 points) in the test. After conducting the concept mapping technique, there was a significant contrast whereas the students reaped a better result in the post-test with a stark increase of 100 percent from the pre-test result. One possible reason for the increased performance was because the used in this technique by the students both in and out of class had managed to improved students score in their test.

5.3.2

Discussion of the relationship whether the using of concept mapping technique by the teacher enables the students to write and increase the students score in answering subjective questions. According to Landsberger (2000), many teachers who use concept mapping technique in the early stages of the writing process found that it can help students to draw their ideas together in their writing. This is proven with reference to the difference in the mean score after the test was conducted. With reference to the difference in means for the pre-test and post-test on the students essays, it also showed an improvement in their essays. During the pre-test, the students mean score is 18.5 percent which was the lowest score were 3 points while the highest score were 10 points. After introducing the concept mapping technique, the mean score in the post-test increased to 26.5 percent which was the lowest score were 10 points and the highest score were 20 points. It was increased 100 percent of the students performance.

5.4

Conclusion of the research findings 26

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This research verified the effectiveness of using concept mapping technique by ESL teachers to help their students in answering subjective question. This is because teachers hardly use concept mapping to teach essay writing to their students. The common problems faced by students when they writing essay are the inability to elaborate the main idea. Therefore, concept mapping is hoped to be a way to fix it. Concept mapping technique helps the students in their writing by putting ideas to paper and to get their ideas flowing. The lists of the research findings are as below ; 1. To understand the relationship between concept mapping technique applied and the increase of students in generating ideas as an effective means in a pre-test and post-test to write better subjective answer. This is proven with reference to the students, performance after the introducing of the concept mapping for item 1, 75 percent of the respondents showed their interest in using concept mapping.

For item 4,5,6 and 8, most of the respondents indicated that by using concept mapping in their study, they gained lots of benefits and improved their result in science subject. They became more motivated in learning science subject and their interest towards the subject was increased. For item 9, 80 percent prefer to learn science subject using concept mappings. The overall results gave the impression that the respondents did have a positive attitude towards the using of concept mappings technique. This is showed in item 10, which 70 percent of the respondents had indicated agreement (Strongly Agree and Agree) to most of the items. 27

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2.

To examine whether teaching concept mapping by the teacher enables the students to write better and increase the students score in answering subjective questions. This is proven with reference to the students, performance after the introducing of the concept mapping. The score of the students performance was increased especially for the experimental group of students reaped a better result in the post-test with a stark increase of 100 percent from the pre- test result that is from 4 to 25 students.

5.5

Implication of research findings This research has identified that using concept mapping in writing has proven. That means the effectiveness of using mind mapping to motivate Primary Six students to perform better in writing was successful. The findings of the research has proved that the using of concept mapping to students help them a lot to strengthen their ability to extract the main ideas faster. Eventhough this research has made the contribution to the knowledge that concept mapping is useful in writing but it still has its limitations. Firstly, the students with low proficiency of level should be guided by the teachers. Then, in order to make the students more independently in concept mapping, they should exposed to variety alternative of using concept mapping.

5.6

Recommendation of research findings The field of educational research is expanding and a single researcher is not going to cover all educational research subject. According to Wiersma (2000), education research

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should be viewed as a continuing activity in which each specific project adds to the store of knowledge or provide solutions to educational problems. This is certainly a topic that deserves further study. Even given its limitations, this study has provided many ideas for ways to modify the researcher practices. It seems that concept mapping can help to stimulate and challenge students to look deeper into their writing. As a result of this study, a researcher had begun to analyze these concept mapping to look for misconceptions the students might have had about essay writing. The researcher also used concept mapping as pre-writing tools to help students plan their answer in subjective questions. The researcher firmly believes that concept mapping and other graphic organizers can be used in many ways in the classroom to encourage higher order thinking and writing. Further research should consider the need for long term research such as using concept mapping to produce essays in the form of a guided writing or answering subjective questions.

5.7

Summary an investigation into the effectiveness of using learning of essay writing. According to 29

The research presented provides mapping in the teaching and

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Anderson-Inman, Ditson, and Ditson (1999) cite considerable evidence that concept mapping promotes meaningful learning in science. In science education, concept mapping has been widely recommended and used in a variety of ways to observe change in students' understanding of concepts over time, to assess what the learner knows, and to reveal their unique thought processes. It has been used in evaluation of science curriculum and instructional activities for promoting conceptual understanding and positive learner attitudes toward science. When Anderson-Inman, Ditson, and Ditson (1999) investigated the use of concept mapping as an accommodation strategy for students with learning difficulties, they found that computer-based concept mapping assists students who are oriented toward visual learning (or who have difficulty reading and writing text) to graphically represent what they are learning. Students' graphic representation of science concepts can be tracked over time, which provides teachers with a method for monitoring conceptual growth as a function of instruction. The findings of this research have answered all the hypothesis in this research. Concept mapping can be conducted to help teachers in teaching the essay writing process in school to their students. Concept mapping is flexible, usefull as well as able to help students to be creative and to think freely during the process of essay writing. By using concept mapping as a prewriting activity students are able to produce better essay.

References
Anders, G. & Beech, L.W. (1990). Reading: Mapping for meaning: 70 graphic for comprehension. Kent, CT: Sniffen Court Books. 30 organizers

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Ausubel, D. P. (1968). Educational Psychology: A Cognitive View. New York: and Winston.

Holt, Rinehart

Becker, W. E., and M. Watts. (1995). Teaching tools: Teaching methods in undergraduate social science. Science Inquiry 33 (October): 692-700. Bellanca, J. (1990). The cooperative think tank: Graphic organizers to teach thinking in the cooperative classroom. Arlington Heights, IL: IRI/SkyLight Training and Publishing, Inc. Buzan, T. (1983). Use both sides of your brain: New techniques to help you read efficiently, study effectively, solve problems, remember more, think clearly. New York: E.P. Claxton, C. S., and P. H. Murrell. (1987). Learning styles: Implications for improving educational practices (ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 4). Washington, D.C.: Association for the Study of Higher Education. Drapeau, P. (1998). Great teaching with graphic organizers: Lessons and fun-shaped templates that motivate kids of all learning styles. New York: Scholastic Professional Books. Fernandez A., Placing, K. (2000) Stage 6:web-based references and resources. Science Teachers Workshop 2000. UniServe Science. [Available] http://www.science.uniserve.edu.au/. Fisher, K. M., Faletti, J., Patterson, H., Thornton, R., Lipson, J., & Spring, C. (1990). Computerbased concept mapping-SemNet software: a tool for describing knowledge networks. Journal of College Science and Technology, 19, 347-352. Graphic Organizers concept mapping mind mapping inspiration [Available]

http://www.graphic.org/concept.html 31

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Jegede, O. J., Alaiyemola, F. F., & Okebukola, P. A. O. (1990 ). The effect of concept mapping on students' anxiety and achievement in biology. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27(10), 950-960. Lanzing, J.W.A. (1997) The Concept Mapping. [Available]

http://users.edte.utwente.nl/lanzing/cm_home.htm Lederman, N. G. & Latz, M. S. (1995). Knowledge structures in the preservice teacher: Sources, development, interactions, and relationships to teaching. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 6(1), 1-19. Novak, J. D. (1993). How do we learn our lesson?: Taking students through the process. The Science Teacher, 60(3), 50-55. Novak, J.D. (1998). Learning, creating and using knowledge: Concept maps as facilitative tools in schools and corporations. New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum & Associates, Publishers. Novak, J. D., & Gowin, D. B. (1984). Learning how to learn. New York: Cambridge University Press. Park, S. (1995). Implications of learning strategy research for designing computer-assisted instruction. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 25(4), 435-456. Sarasin, L. C. (1999). Learning styles: Impact in the classroom. Madison, Wise.: Atwood Tippins, D. J., & Gallard, A. J. (1994). Research on instructional strategies for teaching science. In D. Gabel (Ed.), Handbook of research on science teaching and learning. NY: Macmillan.

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Weinstein, C. E. & MacDonald, J. D. (1986) Why does a school psychologist need to know about learning strategies? Journal of School Psychology, 24, 257-265. Weinstein, C. E. & Mayer, R. E. (1986) The teaching of learning strategies. In M. C. Wittrock Ed.), Handbook on research in teaching (3rd Edition. pp. 315-327). New York: Macmillan. Wheatley, G. H. (1991). Constructivist perspectives on science and mathematics learning. Science Education. 75 (1), 9-21. White, R., & Gunstone, R. (1992). Probing understanding. London: The Falmer Press. Wilkes, L. Cooper, K., & Lewin, J. (1999). Concept mapping: promoting science learning in BN learners in Australia. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 30, 37-44. Anderson-Inman, L., Ditson, L. A., & Ditson, M. T. (1998, June). Computer-based concept mapping: Promoting meaningful learning in science for students with disabilities. Information Technology and Disabilities, 5(12). Retrieved September 6, 2005, from http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv5n12/article2.htm Ausubel, D. (1968). Educational psychology: A cognitive view. New York : Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Herl, H. E., Baker, E. L., & Niemi, D. (1996). Construct validation of an approach to modeling cognitive science structure of U.S. history knowledge. Journal of Educational Research, 89, 206218. Kight, K. S. (1998). Using Inspiration to organize reading and writing. Retrieved September 6, 2005, from http://www.strategictransitions.com/ldarticle.htm Mintzes, J., Wandersee, J., & Novak, J. (Eds.). (1999). Assessing science understanding. San Diego: Academic Press.

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Novak, J. D. (n.d.). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct them. Retrieved September 6, 2005, from http://cmap.coginst.uwf.edu/info/printer.html

Appendix 1 QUESTIONNAIRE 1 Dear students, 34

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The following questions are about the things that you have improved on after learning Concept Maps. I would really appreciate it if you could spare some time to answer the following questions. Your cooperation is highly appreciated. Please tick ( ) on your choices in the options provided.

SUBJECT'S PROFILE Name : Gender Race : : Male Melayu Female Kadazan Chinese Indian Private Sector Retired Private Sector Housewife Retired Others

Father's occupation: Government employee Doing Business Mother's occupation: Government employee Doing Business

UPSR Science Result: A

Language spoken at home: Melayu English

Kadazan Tamil

Chinese Others

For each of the following questions, please tick the boxes which you think best describe the extent you agree or disagree with the questions provided. ITEM STATEMENT SD 1 D 2 N 3 A 4 SA 5 T

I know what concept mapping is now.

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2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I do not have a technique to help me learn Science before. I think the present technique taught by my teacher helps me in learning Science. I have improved my Science results. I believe Concept Maps help me to improved my Science results. I have become more confidence in learning Science I am more organized in my work. I am more motivated to learn Science using Concept Maps. I prefer to learn Science using Concept Maps. I will continue to use Concept Maps when learning Science.
KEY : SD D A SA N Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Neither

Appendix 2

PRE-TEST / POST-TEST
Name :. 36

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Class :.. Date :...

Section B [ 20 Marks ] Answer all questions. 1. Diagram 1 shows an investigation. Two young rabbits of the same weight are kept in two cages labelled X and Y.

Diagram 1 a) What is the purpose of the investigation?

(1 mark )

b)

In this investigation : i) What to change : ____________________________________ ( 2 marks ) ii) What to keep the same : ____________________________________

c) Write one observation from the investigation. ________________________________________________________________ 37

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________________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark ) d) State one inference based on the observation stated in 1 ( c ). ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark ) 2. Syariman sets up a simple pendulum to find out how the number of swings of the pendulum in one minute change when the length of the pendulum changes. The results of investigation are shown in the following table. Length of thread ( cm ) 5 10 15 20 Table 1 a) What is the aim of the investigation? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark ) b) Based on the investigation, state the following : i) What to change ii) What to measure : ____________________________________ : ____________________________________ ( 2 marks ) c) State the pattern number of swings. ___________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark ) d) Predict the number of swings when the length of thread is 25 cm. 38 Number of swings 55 45 35 25

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___________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark )

3. The diagram below shows the set up of an experiment carried out by a group of pupils to study the factors that caused the rusting of an iron nail.

Diagram 2 a) What is the purpose of the investigation? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ( 2 marks )

b)

State your observation based on the experiment. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark )

c)

State one inference based on the observation stated in 3 ( b ). 39

ESEM5133 CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark ) d) What is the conclusion of the investigation? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark ) 4. Diagram 3 shows the position of 5 planets to the sun in solar system

Diagram 3

Table 2 shows the distance of the planets from the sun and the number of days to complete one orbit. Planets M N O P Q Distance from the sun ( million km ) 58 108 150 228 778 Table 2 Number of days to complete one orbit 88 225 365 687 4380 40

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a) State two informations gathered in this investigation. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ( 2 marks ) b) Predict the position of the planet R if the planet takes 500 days to complete one orbit. ________________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark ) c) Suggest one hypothesis from the investigation. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark ) d) What conclusion can be made from the information in table 2? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ( 1 mark ) END OF PAPER

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