Abstract
The purpose of this study was to propose the strategy of integrating concept mapping into computer assisted instruction (“instruction strategy”) for the comprehensive high school chemistry teachers. Quasi-experimental design was adopted to investigate the effect of the instruction strategy on students’ academic achievement in chemistry as well as their change in learning attitude. Two classes of first-grade students at a comprehensive high school were chosen, one class as the experimental group and another class as the control group. The time period of the intervention was eight weeks. Descriptive and inferential statistics were adopted for the experimental data analysis in this study. Qualitative analysis based on the interview with students from the experimental group was also conducted. This study revealed the following significant results: (1) The chemistry academic achievement of the students in the experimental group was significantly better than that in the control group; (2) Chemistry learning retention of the students in the experimental group was not satisfactory, especially in two cognition layers including the analysis and synthesis ones. However, it was better in some cognition layers such as the knowledge, comprehension, application, and evaluation layers; (3) There was no significant difference in academic achievement, learning retention, and learning attitude between genders in the experimental group; (4) The instruction material developed from this study can attract students’ attention, enhance their motivation, and change their learning attitude. (5) According to the results from path analysis, three main paths of instruction material software interface influenced the students’ academic achievement can be concluded. They are “instruction material software interface → course content explanation → academic achievement”, “instruction material software interface → course content explanation → learning environment creation → learning motivation → learning attitude → academic achievement” and “instruction material software interface → course content explanation → learning environment creation → learning attitude → academic achievement.”
| Keywords: | chemistry; comprehensive high school; concept mapping; computer assisted instruction |
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