=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-1667/CtrlE_2016_AC_paper_31
|storemode=property
|title=Use of Concept Maps as a strategy for Teaching-Learning and Assessment Tool in Geography Lessons
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1667/CtrlE_2016_AC_paper_31.pdf
|volume=Vol-1667
|authors=Márcio Aurélio de Morais,Francisco Willians Hirano,Tatiana de Araujo,Gustavo de Nery
}}
==Use of Concept Maps as a strategy for Teaching-Learning and Assessment Tool in Geography Lessons==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1667/CtrlE_2016_AC_paper_31.pdf
Use of Concept Maps as a strategy for Teaching-Learning
and Assessment Tool in Geography Lessons
Márcio Aurélio de Morais1, Francisco Willians Hirano2, Tatiana de Araujo3,
Gustavo de Nery4
1
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Piauí (IFPI)
2
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Tocantins (IFTO)
3
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Piauí (IFPI)
4
Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Piauí (IFPI)
marcio@ifpi.edu.br, kikopalmas@gmail.com, t.araujomoura@gmail.com,
guscane@ifpi.edu.br
Abstract. This article seeks to reflect on the teaching and practice of the use of
conceptual modeling that can assist the teaching-learning process of students
in the classes of Geography in schools of the educational system of the State of
Piauí (Brazil). This research was developed with Geography teachers in a
training course for teachers for the use of Geotechnologies and Tools of Web
interaction within the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology
of Piauí (Brazil). As found by the analysis of data collected in this investigation,
teachers agree that conceptual modeling contributes to the organization of the
geographic knowledge of students. And yet it was evident the use of concept
maps as a teaching and learning strategy, as well as an evaluation tool for
student performance. Finally, the use of concept maps in teaching Geography
brings up the idea of the development and exercise of autonomy by the students,
since self-study is one of the essential factors for meaningful learning of spatial
content in classroom
Keywords: conceptual modeling, teaching-learning, learning strategy
.
Resumen. Este artículo tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre la enseñanza y
práctica del uso de los conceptos de modelado puede ayudar en el proceso de
aprendizaje de los estudiantes en las escuelas públicas de Piauí. Participaro en
esta investigacion los profesores de geografía que tomaron el curso sobre el
uso de herramientas Geotecnología e Interacción Web, el Instituto Federal de
Piauí (IFPI). De acuerdo con el análisis de los datos, los maestros favorecieron
el uso de los mapas conceptuales como estrategia de enseñanza y aprendizaje
y como una herramienta de evaluación del estudiante. Por lo tanto, el uso de
mapas conceptuales en la enseñanza de la geografía aporta la idea de
desarrollo y autonomía, como el auto-estudio es esencial para el aprendizaje
significativo en el aula.
Palabras Clave: la modelización conceptual, enseñanza-aprendizaje,
estrategia de enseñanza y
1. Introduction
This research was developed with Geography teachers and it provides a reflection on
teaching practice and the use of cognitive tools that can assist in the teaching-learning
process of students in Geography lessons. Under this perspective it is necessary to
mention that during the teaching practice, we constantly seek appropriate learning
resources in order to make significant learning to our students, and in this quest, we
encounter various strategies and, among them, there is the construction of concept maps.
There are several possibilities of using concept maps in teaching Geography. However,
this research data pointed to two purposes for the use of this cognitive tool a) as a teaching
and learning strategy, and b) as an assessment tool. It is noticed that the concepts and
propositions on human cognition are structured as a concept diagram.
2. Literature Review
Moraes (2005) establishes that meaningful learning is characterized by the
interaction of information to a relevant aspect of the cognitive structure of the subject, not
to any aspect. Information is learned significantly when it relates to other ideas, concepts
or relevant or inclusive propositions that are clear and available in the individual's mind
and act as anchors.
Two conditions are necessary for meaningful learning to occur: the student must
be willing to learn and the material to be presented must be potentially significant. It is
interesting that the student is motivated, have an interest in learning. A tired and unwell
student can be reflection of unattractive classes. On the other hand, the teacher must also
present an exciting material to motivate the student to want to learn.
Concept maps are defined as graphical representations of concepts, like diagrams
in a specific domain of knowledge, constructed such that the relationships between the
concepts are clear. That is, they represent concepts and their connections (relationships)
in the form of a map, where knots are concepts and the links between two knots are
relationships between the concepts. These relationships are nominative, i.e., every
relationship between two concepts form a proposition (GAVA; Menezes; Cury).
Moreira (2006) warns that the use of concept maps as assessment tool implies a
posture that, for many, differs from usual. In the assessment by concept maps, the main
idea is to assess what the student knows in terms of concepts, how he/she structures,
ranks, sets, lists, discriminates, integrates concepts of a particular unit of study, topic,
subject, etc..
According to Sousa & Boruchovit (2010a), concept maps mobilize the student in
planning, monitoring and regulation of his/her thoughts itself and of his/her own actions.
In the course of its composition, during his confrontation with other maps, at the time of
its reconfiguration, the student is led to reflect critically about his/her achievements and
cognitive paths chosen in the production of results. Thus, working with concept maps
allows him/her, continuously and gradually, learn to think about his/her thinking and
accomplishments, to develop the ability to know himself/herself - cognitively,
procedurally and emotionally.
Thus, Souza & Boron (2010) indicate that the concept maps, undertaken as an
evaluative tool, do not seek to measure an object, nor only allow passive contemplation
of a situation. To the authors, concept maps have the following characteristics: a) promote
frequent and high quality feedback that activate cognitive and metacognitive processes of
students; b) provide the regulation of education and the consequent promotion of teaching
variability; c) locate the error as a stage of the learning process, breaking the dichotomy
knowing / not knowing and promoting the building of bridges between what you consider
important to teach and what you can learn; d) extend student involvement with the
management of his/her learning pathways, improving self-esteem and increasing
motivation; e) promote self-regulation of learning generating conditions for students to
progressively be in charge of their learning.
2. Method
This section presents the methodological approach of the research, and aims to enable,
through detailed interpretation of the paths followed in formulating and developing
research in question, in order to provide structuring elements to the reader and allowances
for understanding it. In these terms, the methodological procedures are qualitative and the
research method used was the exploratory case study. This research was initially
developed with forty (40) Geography teachers who teach in the state schools of the State
of Piauí (Brazil). Such subjects were students enrolled in the Training Course for
Geography Teachers of High School directed to digital Geotechnology and Web
Interaction tools at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Piauí
(Brazil).
It is important to highlight, once again, from the perspective of this research,
within the Training Course for Geography Teachers of High School directed to digital
Geotechnology and Web interaction tools, we sought to identify the concepts and
reflections of the teachers surveyed about the use and possible ownership of
geotechnology, interactional and cognitive tools, allowing us to identify elements of
approximation of these technologies with the pedagogical practice of teachers.
In one of the practical laboratory classes, the teacher-students had contact with
the CMap Tools software with the aim of creating concept maps (Figure 1). CmapTools
is a freely distributed tool, available in conjunction with other tools in order to provide
collaborative environments and provide students with means to collaborate in knowledge
level, allowing users to build their conceptual maps and divide the knowledge expressed
in their maps with other students. Each teacher-student built a conceptual map in the area
of Geography, as shown in Figure 2 below:
Figure 1 – Drawing concept maps using the CmapTools software
Figure 2 – A concept map drawn by a teacher
3. Results and discussion
To understand how Geography teachers see the use of concept maps in teaching practice
and what they think about their use as an element that enables meaningful learning, they
were offered to speak about the benefits and advantages of using concept maps in their
Geography lessons. We started with the speech of some teachers.
"The use of concept maps allows students to express their ideas, explain
concepts about specific content of Geography." As a professor of
Geography, using concept maps is to enable the student to create an
interconnected network between semantic concepts of a particular
theme, providing a more concrete learning upon subjects in geography
lessons."
"I have had contact with conceptual modeling only in textbooks of
Geography, because by the end of each chapter there was a concept map
about the content covered, but I never used this feature in my classes,
because I did not know how to use it. However, after the classes on
conceptual maps of this continuing education course, I discovered in
conceptual modeling an interesting tool that can and will be used as a
teaching resource for presenting the contents of Geography in my
classes from now on, and certainly, the students will like this heuristic
tool".
However, these studies highlight the use of concept maps as a metacognitive tool
used for the measurement of knowledge from the perspective of meaningful learning. It
was noticed, in this sense, that the transcribed testimonies above, the use of concept maps
allows students to organize and express their ideas about certain contents, in the case here,
about the contents of Geography. To Gava (2013), when we are in a learning process, in
different situations and at several different times, we must express our ideas
(externalization of knowledge). This expression of ideas can be to summarize an article
or text studied, to register a lawsuit, to develop a research project or learn how to produce
texts expressing our understanding of a given subject or even to give a speech.
However, it is still necessary to emphasize that during the construction of concept
maps by students in the subject of Geography, teacher should take into consideration the
proposed content in Geography lessons, as well as the use of these maps as tools for
identification of previous ideas that students have in the process of teaching and learning.
We agree with Novak (2000) that argues that the concept map is suitable for assessing
prior knowledge and diagnosis of alternative conceptions of knowledge, scientific and/or
socially accepted; it is an organizer for the conceptual and propositional knowledge of
the hierarchy of nature, and promote meaningful learning, evoking prior knowledge and
its progressive differentiation.
On the other hand, it is appropriate to emphasize that when students express their
ideas about specific content of Geography, they should organize them, and for this it is
necessary that the concepts learned in class are related, and hierarchically ordered,
because according to Pozo (1996), this organization is based, in turn, establishing internal
relations between the elements of learning materials. In this respect also Boruchovitch
(1999) notes that concept maps provide the students with the ability to understand the
meaning of the contents, link them to their previous knowledge in a self-regulated and
orderly manner, and promote meaningful learning.
Along with that, based on Boruchovit & Sousa (2010) for the occurrence of
significant learning, so it is essential to determine what the student already knows, to
subsequently introduce new concepts in accordance with the acquired baggage of their
daily lives, in line with their prior knowledge. The result, full of meaning, emerges when
the student establishes relationships of this new knowledge to relevant concepts already
possessed.
Castelar (2007) states that to achieve real learning, it is necessary, first, that the
student actually wants it; then realize that he/she is capable; and, finally, reflect on the
relevance of school to their lives. Therefore, in Geography lessons and by using concept
maps one should seek to work awareness of learning in order to lead students to reflect
on the topics learned in the classroom, making connections with the daily life because,
according to the author, the success of the educational act occurs more easily if such act
involves learning, and consequently the development of a teaching practice that may
constitute an effective means of preparing students for a better understanding and
participation in society he/she lives, and this is a challenge for the Geography teacher.
Continuing to the testimony of teachers of this investigation, another aspect
evidenced in the use of concept maps as a metacognitive tool was beyond being used with
a teaching strategy, as noted above, the possibility of its use as an assessment tool, the
prospect of a formative evaluation as reported below.
"The use of concept maps allows teacher and presents the content of
Geography. It can also assist you in assessing student learning, because
this feature allows the student to relate the concepts covered in the
Geography lessons, expressing the knowledge assimilated and learned."
"Before attending this training course for the use of technology in
teaching Geography, I used to assess my students just by doing a
conventional assessment with writing and multiple choice questions.
Now I can assess my students through the construction of conceptual
maps, and the interesting point is that we can, together, me and my
students, build on each end of class a concept map from the perspective
of a formative evaluation."
About this reality, Boruchovit & Sousa (2010) address that formative assessment
is committed to learning because it engages with the progress of students in the field of
knowledge and procedures for its appropriation.
Geography teachers can use conceptual maps as strategies of qualitative
assessment with their students in the classroom, in order to identify whether there was
learning of geographical concepts by the students, and this is possible by the analysis of
maps produced by the students; thus, allowing them to make inferences about the ability
to relate concepts. Further in this direction, Moreira (2006) points out that the analysis of
maps is essentially qualitative. The teacher, instead of bothering to assign a score to the
map drawn by the student, should seek to interpret the information given by the student
on the map in order to obtain evidence of meaningful learning. It is pertinent to note that
the assessment must also be understood as a critical learning activity because it allows
the teacher and the students to learn collaboratively (Álvarez Méndez, 2002).
By highlighting these aspects on the perception of Geography teachers about the
possibilities and benefits of using concept maps as a teaching and learning strategy and
as an evaluative instrument in the course of this investigation, we sought to describe
indicators that point to the importance of conceptual maps in the teaching-learning
process of Geography.
A questionnaire with open questions was used with Likert scale, which comprised
selected statements so as to provide valid inferences that might corroborate the
impressions and perceptions of Geography teachers about the use of concept maps in
teaching Geography. In these terms, the validation of the attitudes and expressions of
teachers was made by accepting the answers on a 5-point scale, in which the number 1
corresponds to the statement "strongly disagree" and the number 5 to the statement
"totally agree".
The indicators were described using four (4) statements, according to Table 1.
Table 1: Indicators of the importance of concept maps in teaching-learning process in
Geography
Likert scale
Items
1 2 3 4 5
Conceptual maps contribute to the organization of 45 55
geographical knowledge of students in Geography. % %
Besides Geography, other subjects could use concept maps 32 68
as a learnig and knowledge assessment tool. % %
The content of Geography is easier to be understood 45 55
through concept maps than through texts. % %
The development of concept maps in group facilitates 14 86
student learning related to the contents of Geography. % %
Given the above, descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data collected. It can be
observed that teachers agree that conceptual modeling contributes to the organization of the
geographic knowledge of students. Regarding the possibility of using concept maps as a teaching
and learning strategy and performance evaluation tool, teachers agree that conceptual modeling
can contribute to the good performance of students in other classes.
For teachers, the use of concept maps for it is a heuristic tool, and therefore, makes use
of graphic elements and can make it easier to assimilate the contents of Geography by students.
Finally, teachers believe that the development of concept maps in groups facilitates student
learning in relation to the contents of Geography.
4. Conclusions
There is no doubt that the concept maps can collaborate with the expression of ideas and
concepts in an organized way in the cognitive structure of the learner who wants to learn.
In light of the foregoing, exposed through the analysis of the data collected in this
investigation, teachers agree that conceptual modeling contributes to the organization of
the geographic knowledge of students. And yet it was evident the use of concept maps as
a teaching and learning strategy, as well as an evaluation tool for student performance.
Finally, the use of concept maps in teaching Geography brings up the idea of the
development and the exercise of students’ autonomy, since self-learning is one of the
essential factors to make meaningful learning of spatial content classroom occur.
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