IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND GENETIC RESEARCH (JBGR )

E-ISSN 2545-5710
P-ISSN 2695-222X
VOL. 11 NO. 3 2025
DOI: 10.56201/jbgr.vol.11.no3.2025.pg40.53

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Effect of Concept Mapping and Mind Mapping Instructional Tools on Students’ Achievement on Higher-Order Cognitive Ability Tasks and Retention in Secondary School Biology in Benue State

Laagye Zachariah, Awuhe Samuel

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Abstract

This study comparatively investigated the effect of concept mapping and mind mapping instructional tools on students’ achievement on higher-order cognitive tasks and retention in secondary school biology. Two null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance were formulated to guide this study. The population of the study consisted of 19,598 Senior Secondary School II students who studied biology in the 2023/2024 academic session in all the 387 Senior Secondary Schools in Benue State. The design of this study was non-randomized pre-test - post-test quasi- experimental design. A sample of 140 students in four intact classes were purposively selected from secondary schools in the State. Two classes were randomly assigned to the each of the two experimental groups; the concept mapping and mind mapping groups. The instruments for data collection were Biology Achievement Test (BAT) and Biology Retention Test (BRT). Results from data analysis using mean, standard deviation, and independent samples t-test showed that the mean posttest achievement scores of concept mapping and mind mapping were, M=9.59 (SD=3.39) and M=7.94 (SD=3.28) respectively. The mean retention scores of concept mapping and mind mapping were, M=9.40 (SD=2.88 and M=6.18 (SD=3.77) respectively. Result of independent samples t-test revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in the mean achievement scores between concept mapping and mind mapping groups, t (138) = 1.02, p =0.00, 95% CI [0.53, 2.80]. Similarly, there was also a statistically significant difference between the mean retention score of the concept mapping and mind mapping groups, t (139.11) = 5.74, p =0.00, 95% CI [2.13, 4.38]. These results show that concept mapping instructional tool possess greater potentials for developing higher-order cognitive skills in students and retention of knowledge compared to mind mapping. Thus, it therefore incumbent biology teachers to employ conc

keywords:

Concept mapping, mind mapping Higher order Cognitive skills, Retention.

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