Effect of Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy Accompanied by Discussion Web on Students’ Academic Achievement in the Concept of Genetics

Abstract

Purpose: This study explored the effect of Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy Accompanied by Discussion Web on students’ academic achievement in the concept of Genetics at Navrongo Senior High School, generally, and on gender basis.
 Methodology: The study adopted quasi-experimental design (pretest, posttest non-equivalent design). The sample comprised of 80 Navrongo Senior High School Form Three Gold Track and Green Track science students. Students from the Green Track class and Gold Track class were assigned experimental group and control group respectively. The experimental group class was made up of 23 males and 20 females. The control group class was also made up of 24 males and 13 females. Pretest was administered to all the participants. The experimental group was taught using Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy Accompanied by Discussion Web. The control group was taught using Conventional Teaching Method. A posttest was administered to both groups to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. The reliability of the test items was determined using test-retest reliability coefficient. The test-retest reliability coefficients of the instruments were found to be 0.70 and 0.73 for the pretest and posttest respectively. The data obtained were analysed using t-test.
 Results: The pretest test scores revealed that the students were homogeneous in terms of academic achievement (t-value = 1.05, p-value=0.30, p>0.05). Posttest results of students in the experimental group were significantly higher than the control group (t-value = 8.07, p-value = 0.000, p < 0.05). The result of the posttest showed that the use of concept mapping instructional strategy accompanied by discussion web in teaching genetics was more effective than conventional teaching method. There was no statistically significant difference in the academic achievement of male and female students in the experimental group (t-value = 1.68, p-value = 0.11, p > 0.05).
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study recommended that Biology teachers in Navrongo Senior High School should be encouraged to teach Genetics using Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy Accompanied by Discussion Web in order to improve the academic achievement of students. Science teachers should be given the opportunity to attend workshops, seminars, conferences to enable them update their knowledge on current instructional strategies that are capable of improving the academic achievement of students. The Government, Ghana Education Service and Ministry of Education should establish professional development fund for teachers to enable them upgrade professionally and also improve on their teaching styles since most teacher are not abreast with the current or modern methods of teaching.

Facilitating Academic Gains with Artifacts of Learning: Effect Concept Mapping on Performance in Cellular Respiration

“…One major factor that contributes to student performance includes teachers' instructional approaches (Casanoves et al, 2017). The most common instructional strategies used by teachers to deliver concepts in Biology at the senior high level include; conventional method, demonstration, discussion and note-taking (Ayimbila, Pappoe, Yaw, & Azure, 2021). Instructional approaches that demand students' active participation in task accomplishment is absent in the Ghanaian classroom (Azure, 2015).…”

“…Constructivism encourages students to take charge of their own learning through methods like experiments and finding solutions to real-world problems, and also helps them to reflect on their actions and discuss how their understanding is evolving (Mensah-Wonkyi & Adu, 2016). It is this nature of constructivism that allows for student centered approaches like concept mapping because it is an active process where learners construct ideas based on their previous knowledge and understanding (Ayimbila & Akantagriwon, 2021). In a constructivism learning environment, the teacher acts as a coach who directs learners to complete a given task.…”