“AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF CONCEPT MAPPING ON LEARNING IN AN UNDERGRADUATE PHYSICS COURSE”

 “AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF CONCEPT MAPPING ON LEARNING IN AN UNDERGRADUATE PHYSICS COURSE”

                 

✍️  RAJ KUMAR TAMANG

                                                                        Department of Science

Title: AN INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF CONCEPT MAPPING ON LEARNING IN AN UNDERGRADUATE PHYSICS COURSE

Author: Joanne Broggy  & George McClelland

Journal: ResearchGate

Volume:2

 Issue: 4

Year: 2016

 Page: 34-38

DOI: 10.29311/ndtps.v0i4.393

 

            This article is based on the research that has been carried out to evaluate and highlight the declining number of graduates from science related courses. Morgan, M., Flanagan, R., & Kellaghan, T. (2000) indicated that the rate of students passing out decreases  in physics and engineering courses. Science (22.2%) and Engineering (19.6%) students do not complete their courses in Ireland. Several initiatives have been designed and implemented throughout the Republic of Ireland to combat the problem of low retention rates in undergraduate science courses and to introduce the use of more effective instructional methodologies that promote the active role of the learner while also encouraging the facilitative role of the teacher. The research aimed to explore and evaluate the potential of Concept Mapping as an educational tool in physics education.

            Study employed a mix method and chose a first year undergraduate physics module with 84 students from the University of Limerick. Students were trained for constructing concept maps both in groups and individually. Questionnaires as likert scale was surveyed and results of students before and after training were compared and analyzed.

The paper examined the effect of Concept Mapping on understanding theory, identifying concepts, linking prior and new knowledge and problem solving. This study found  that 85% of students felt that Concept Mapping tools facilitated linking prior to new knowledge with 61.9% agreeing that that was due to Concept Mapping.

Joanne Broggy  and  George McClelland illustrated that a concept map is a visual representation of what and how students think, it can be used in a variety of settings to evaluate knowledge of a topic as stated by King & Shell, (2002) and Walker and Avant (2005). More than 15% students were found unable to solve problems even with the experience of concept mapping because the external scaffolding is important to deep thinking and complex learning according to Salmon, D. & Kelly, M. (2015). Similarly,  Canas, Reiska & Möllits, (2017) And Kinchin, I.M. (2011) are in favor of the findings of this study. They believed that Concept mapping is a useful tool to support the learning of complex topics.

This paper’s preliminary findings suggest that the Concept Mapping method employed is effective in providing suitable learning opportunities to undergraduate physics students.Methodology of study was as accorded the objectives designed and Results of the study well answered the research questions. But Joanne Broggy  & George McClelland did not explain about disagreement of students in likert scale. Analysis of result, it seems that concept mapping is for assimilation of knowledge but not for accomodation of knowledge through constructivist view whereas positivist view claimed concept mapping help to approach or link objectively to new theories and concepts from existing one. This paper suggested that Concept Mapping is an interesting instructional tool that stimulates critical thinking.

Finally, the article is very well written. I believe this article provides interesting thematic clues and necessary in-depth insight for writing different kinds of academic writings.

References

1.         Morgan, M., Flanagan, R. & Kellaghan, T. (2000). A study of noncompletion in Institute of technology courses. Dublin: Educational Research Centre.

2.     Salmon, D. & Kelly, M.( 2015). Using Concept Mapping to Foster Adaptive Expertise: Enhancing Teacher Metacognitive Learning to Improve Student Academic Performance. Peter Lang, 5(3), 7-15.

3.      Kinchin, I.M.(2011). Visualising Knowledge Structures in Biology: Discipline, Curriculum and Student Understanding. J. Biol. Educ, 1( 45), 183–189.

4.     Canas, A.J., Reiska, P., &  Mollits, A.(2017). Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills with Concept Mapping: A Case of Pedagogic Frailty. Knowl. Manag. E-Learn,7(9), 348–365.

5.         Walker, L.O. & Avant, K.C. (2005). Strategies for theory construction in nursing (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

6.     King, M., & Shell, R. (2002). Critical thinking strategies. Teaching and evaluating critical thinking with concept maps. Nurse Educator, 2(27), 214-216.