Secondary students’ perception of the effectiveness of concept maps in the learning process
Vincenzo Antonio Gallo, Fabio Filosofi
Concept maps are a widely used educational tool employed by teachers to facilitate the learning and understanding of complex concepts. This study aims to examine students’ perception of the effectiveness of concept maps in promoting meaningful learning. To this end, a survey consisting of two open-ended questions designed to promote metacognition was administered. Findings suggest that the perception of effectiveness of concept maps varies with the participants’ learning styles. Those who show a preference for visual learning tend to benefit more from concept maps, while those who prefer other learning methodologies perceive these study tools as less useful and effective. Concept maps were found to be particularly effective in improving abstract-concept comprehension, memorization and information processing. This study highlights the need to provide students with self-assessment tools to help them identify their own learning styles with the goal to make an efficient and functional use of concept maps.
Keywords
Concept maps, Inclusion, Metacognition, Learning Styles, Disability.
