Concept Mapping in Science Class: A Case Study of Fifth Grade Students

The purpose of this research project was to determine the effects of incorporating concept mapping on the achievement of fifth grade students in science class. The study was conducted with twenty-three students at Ata Elementary School, Trabzon, Turkey. The students were tested with teacher-constructed preand post tests containing 20 multiple-choice questions. The pupils in the experimental and control groups were exposed to the same teaching techniques covering a unit on heat and temperature. They were given the same pretest after the initial lessons. However, after the pretest, the control group was given a traditional oral review of the material and the experimental group was exposed to the review by the use of Inspiration, which is computer based concept mapping tool. After these reviews, the students on both groups were given the posttest. Test scores were analyzed for any statistically significantly difference in the scores on the test. The results from present study indicate that concept mapping has a noticeable impact on student achievement in science classes.