The Effectiveness of Teaching Through Concept Maps on Critical Thinking and Academic Self-Concept

Abstract

The purpose of this study was the effectiveness of teaching through concept maps on critical thinking and academic self-concept. The research method is quasi-experimental with a pre-test - post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included all high school male students in Marvdasht in the academic year 2020-2021. The sample size was selected using step wise cluster random sampling. And the selected individuals were placed in two groups; experimental group (30 people) and control group (30 people). The Data collection tools in this study were Ricketts critical thinking and Rogers academic self-concept questionnaires, which confirmed the validity and reliability of the instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. At the level of descriptive statistics; Frequency, mean and standard deviation and at the level of inferential statistics, uni-variate analysis of covariance test were used. The results showed that teaching through concept maps has a significant effect on students; critical thinking. Teaching by conceptual maps has a significant effect on academic self-concept. The use of active and effective teaching methods, including the concept map method, can promote critical thinking and academic self-concept in students. Concept maps make it possible to deepen the process of teaching and learning to reach higher levels of cognition and a variety of abstract, creative and critical thinking.