Concept maps

A topic in teaching science

Concept mapping is a technique to graphically represent conceptual structures.

Read about conceptual structure

In its simplest form, it comprises of a diagram with a particular concept label at the centre of the page, linked, directly or indirectly, to other concept labels by lines. The lines represent propositions about how two concepts are related. The proposition may be written in full or abbreviated form or a coded key may be used.

Concept map for 'concept' concept. From 'The role of conceptual integration in understanding and learning chemistry' (Taber, 2015).
Figure 1. A concept map of some of the themes of this article
Figure 1. A concept map of some of the themes of this article (From Taber, 1994)

How might concept maps be used:

There are a number of uses for concept maps. Here are some examples:

Lesson planning: A teacher might use a concept map to represent a topic to be taught as a way of thinking about the connections between different ideas, to help plan a level of treatment and teaching sequence. A researcher could also map out a topic as preparation for a project exploring students' ideas.

Diagnostic assessment: A teacher may ask students to prepare a concept map for formative assessment purposes, to evaluate student understanding. This could be at the start of a topic to gauge prior learning and possible alternative conceptions ('misconceptions'); or during, or at the end of, a topic to gauge progress.

Analytical tool: A researcher could graphically represent a learners ideas, as elicited in interviews for example, either as a tool to aid analysis or as a means to present findings.

Read more about concept mapping as a research tool

Revision aid: A student may construct a concept map as part of their revision, to help them identify links within a topic, and as a form of 'active learning' (where the student has to actively rework material, rather than just reading or copying their notes). Students could be ask to compare maps and disucss any substantive differences.

"I think this exercise was useful as it let me know exactly how much I know about energy, which I can now see is not enough"

"I found I was digging around, trying to put fragments of things I could remember together. I found I could remember only scraps of information, but when doing the drawing, saw how things pieced together, and linked with other things"

"I didn't realise how much the different areas interlinked"

Examples of student reflections after being introduced to concept mapping (from Taber, 1994)

Some examples of learner drawn concept maps may be viewed here

Concept mapping also has uses in classroom teaching.

Focus for dialogue: A group concept map may be a way of encouraging productive dialogue between students as they have to explain their ideas, and make joint decisions about what to include, how to relate concepts, etc.

Scaffolding tool: Students can be given an incomplete concept map that they have to finish either

(a) to highlight specific previously taught ideas that need to be brought to mind and applied in new learning, and to highlight its organisation in relation to the teaching to follow (a 'scaffolding PLANK')

Incomplete concept map to act as a scaffolding PlaNK for learning about mass spectroscopy
Incomplete concept map to act as a scaffolding PlaNK for learning about mass spectroscopy

(b) to help structure new learning by providing a framework to show how ideas being presented in teaching fit together (a 'scaffolding POLE')

Read more about scaffolding learning

A teacher can issue students with a concept map at the start of a topic as an advance organiser, or at the end of the topic as a revision tool (perhaps after asking students to have their own attempts at providing such a map). Teachers can also issue partially incomplete maps, or maps with missing information presented separately so students have to work out what goes where (a kind of DART).

DART type revision concept map. Taken from 'Chemical Misconceptions – Prevention, Diagnosis and Cure: Classroom resources' (Taber, 2002)

Read about the revision map for the periodic table

There is potential here for differentiation as versions with different levels of provided information may be prepared – such as providing concept labels (for learners to add the links), or asking learners to match provided linking propositions with connections on a map:

Three versions of a revision map for the topic aids in lower secondary level science. One version presents concept labels and has no links. Another version has the map completed, except that the links and the linking proportions need to be matched. A third version has the map completed and the links correctly keyed, except some words are missing from the propositions. Examples taken from 'Chemical Misconceptions – Prevention, Diagnosis and Cure: Classroom resources' (Taber, 2002).

Read about the revising acids mapping activity

Sources cited:
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