The Effect of Different Concept-mapping Techniques on Promoting Students’ Learning Processes in the Field of Business

This study reports about the effects of three concept-mapping techniques on promoting students’ learning processes in the field of business sciences: expert map, fill-in-the-map and construct-a-map. The three techniques were used complementary to a management game and they differ in the degree of self-construction. Twenty-six ninth-grade students at a public high school took part in the study. The students were assigned to one of four groups: a control group and three concept-mapping groups (experimental groups). In order to measure the learning outcome, students of all groups were required to answer a knowledge test before and after the intervention. An increase in knowledge over time could be identified, but the groups did not differ significantly. However, interesting tendencies were identified: The groups who worked with fill-in-the-map and construct-a-map were superior to the expert map group. The expert map group showed the lowest increase in knowledge. Thus, one can assume that the requirement for self-construction (e. g. fill-in-the-map or construct-a-map) fosters learning better than working with preconstructed maps (e. g. expert map). Furthermore, the control group, which did not use any of the mapping techniques as a complement to the management game, performed very well. Possibly, the management game itself fosters knowledge development so significantly that the effect of the mapping techniques is confounded. In light of these findings further research on the conditions under which it is useful to combine mapping techniques with complex tasks like management games is necessary.