Effectiveness of concept mapping on scientific creativity among secondary school students

Abstract

Objectives i) To find out whether experimental group has higher mean gain score of Scientific Creativity than control group. ii) To find out whether Concept Mapping contribute to Scientific Creativity when the initial level of Achievement in Chemistry is taken as a covariate. iii) To find out whether Concept Mapping contribute to Scientific Creativity when the pre-test score of Scientific Creativity is taken as a covariate. iv) To find out whether there is gender difference in the mean gain score of Scientific Creativity in the experimental group. v) To find out whether the post-test score on Scientific Creativity of the experimental group is greater than the pre-test score. vi) To find out the effect size of Concept Mapping on Scientific Creativity. Methodology Participants selected for the study : Eighty seven IXth standard students selected from two schools. Tools used for the study : • An Introductory Lesson plan for Concept Mapping • Lesson Plans based on constructivist approach (for the control group) and Concept Mapping in the consolidation stage (for the experimental group) • Test of Scientific Creativity • Achievement Test in Chemistry Statistical techniques i) One-tailed test of significance of difference between two means for large independent groups ii) Analysis of covariance iii) Two-tailed test of significance of difference between two means for small independent groups iv) One-tailed test of significance of difference between two means for large dependent groups v) Cohen’s ‘d’ for measuring the effect size Major Findings Findings revealed that students taught through Concept Mapping differ significantly in their Scientific Creativity from that of control group. The mean gain score of Scientific Creativity and its components significantly higher for the experimental group than the control group. The experimental and control groups differ significantly in their mean Scientific Creativity score when variation due to the initial level of Achievement in Chemistry is removed. The experimental group has significantly higher Scientific Creativity score than control group when the variation due to the pre-test score of Scientific Creativity is removed. The difference in the mean gain scores of Scientific Creativity for boys and girls in the experimental group is not significant. And also there is no significant difference in the mean gain score of Scientific Creativity component, fluency for boys and girls in the experimental group. But there is significant gender difference in the mean gain score of other components of Scientific Creativity, viz; flexibility, originality. The mean scores of Scientific Creativity and its components, fluency, flexibility and originality in the post-test is significantly greater than that in the pre-test. The effectiveness of Concept Mapping on Scientific Creativity and its components are high.