Assessing changes in high school students' conceptual understanding through concept maps before and after the computer-based predict-observe-explain (CB-POE) tasks on acid-base chemistry at the secondary level
Author
Yaman, F.
Ayas, A.
Date
2015-07-22Source Title
Chemistry Education Research and Practice
Print ISSN
1756-1108
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Volume
16
Issue
4
Pages
843 - 855
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
182
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251
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Abstract
Although concept maps have been used as alternative assessment methods in education, there has been an
ongoing debate on how to evaluate students’ concept maps. This study discusses how to evaluate students’
concept maps as an assessment tool before and after 15 computer-based Predict–Observe–Explain
(CB-POE) tasks related to acid–base chemistry. 12 high school students participated in this study. Students’
concept maps were evaluated taking into account three parts: qualitative, quantitative and representational
level. The results gathered from the quantitative analysis of the pre and post concept maps were analyzed
using SPSS 17.0. The results showed that there is a significant difference between students’ pre and post
concept map scores (z = 3.05; p o 0.05). From the qualitative analysis of the concept maps, the majority
of the students constructed their pre and post concept maps non-hierarchically; while they drew more
interconnected concept maps after the CB-POE tasks. Regarding their representational level, the students
used the macroscopic level more often than microscopic and symbolic levels in both their pre and post
concept maps. Nonetheless, they increased the number of macroscopic, microscopic and symbolic level
representations in their post concept maps. The paper concludes with suggestions and implications for
educators and researchers to improve the quality of concept map evaluation.