Effectiveness of Concept Mapping in Terms of Understanding Concepts of English Grammar

Abstract or Introduction

In the present experimental study, an attempt was made to study the effectiveness of the Concept Mapping Strategy In terms of Understanding Concepts of English Grammar. Concept mapping is the strategy employed to develop a concept map. It is a graphical tool for organizing and representing knowledge. Concept Maps include concepts, usually enclosed in circles or boxes of some type, and relationships between concepts indicated by a connecting line linking two concepts. Words on the line referred to as linking words or linking phrases, specify the relationship between the two concepts.

The most important characteristic of a concept map is that the concepts are represented in a hierarchical fashion with the most inclusive, most general concepts at the top of the map and the more specific, less general concepts arranged hierarchically below. The concept map may pertain to some situation or event that one is trying to understand through the organization of knowledge in the form of a concept map, thus providing the context for the concept map. Another important characteristic of a concept map is the inclusion of cross-links. These are relationships or links between concepts in different segments or domains of the concept map.

For the present study, a Non-equivalent Control Group Design was employed. Sample of 81 students of class VIII studying in the academic year 2010-11 was selected, using a Random sampling technique for teaching selected concepts of English Grammar. The intact groups as existed in the schools were taken for experimentation. One of the groups was taught English grammar Concepts through the Concept Mapping Strategy the other group was taught the same concepts using the Lecture Method. The treatment continued for 17 days at a rate of 40 minutes per day. The data were analyzed using ANCOVA.