Effect of Concept Mapping Education on Critical Thinking Skills of Medical Students: A Quasi-experimental Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND፡ Fostering critical thinking (CT) is one of the most important missions in medical education. Concept mapping is a method used to plan and create medical care through a diagrammatic representation of patient problems and medical interventions. Concept mapping as a general method can be used to improve CT skills in medical students. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of concept mapping on CT skills of medical students.METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 100 second-year medical students which take an anatomy course. Participants were randomly assigned into a control group (lecture-based) and an intervention group (concept mapping). CT levels of medical students were assessed using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Data were analyzed using independent sample t-test.RESULTS: Before intervention, CT scores of the intervention and control groups were 6.68 ± 2.55 and 6.64±2.74, respectively, and after intervention, they were 11.64±2.29 and 10.04 ± 3.11, respectively. Comparison of mean score differences for both groups before and after intervention demonstrated that CT scores in the experimental group significantly increased after intervention (P=0.021).CONCLUSIONS: Medical students who were taught through concept mapping showed an increase in CT scores, compared with those in the control group. Medical students require effective CT skills in order to make sound knowledge-based assessment and treatment choices during patient care. Therefore, instructors and planners of medical education are expected to apply this educational strategy for developing CT skills in medical students.

Comparison lecture and concept map methods on the level of learning and satisfaction in puerperal sepsis education of midwifery students: a quasi-experimental study

“…The evaluation of learning score showed that this criteria was increased after intervention in both groups. This result is in agreement with Islami et al [ 23 ]. Rigi et al Showed that the clinical skill of preeclampsia control in both the concept map training and the traditional method groups after two weeks of the intervention significantly increased compared to before the intervention [ 24 ].…”

Promoting Students' Higher Order Thinking with Concept Map Recomposition

“…The previous studies measured the effect of SC-Mapping on the students' HOT based on their performance in accomplishing the assessment before (pre-test) and after learning (post-test) [10], [12]. For example, [12] provided a test consisting of 12 questions categorized as applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating to investigate the students' HOT comprehension before and after concept mapping was conducted in the laboratory activities.…”

“…This study refers to this traditional concept mapping as scratch concept map composition (SC-Mapping). Prior studies have shown SC-Mapping could develop HOT of students [10]- [13]. Meanwhile, the concept map recomposition (KB-mapping)constructing the concept map from the given kit containing concepts and links-has been proven to attain similar or more learning achievements than SC-Mapping [14]- [16].…”

Ability to compose concept maps and student cognitive learning outcomes in animal embryology and reproductive courses

“…There is a significant relationship between the ability to create concept maps and learning outcomes (Carr-Lopez et al, 2014;Maurisa & Herkules, 2016). Furthermore, learning via concept maps can help independent learning, improve critical thinking skills, analysis, and support interest in learning (Biniecki & Conceição, 2016;Jamaludin, 2017;Maryam et al, 2021).…”