Concept Maps for Better Understanding

 Summary of Fabiyi (2024) 

Background & Existing Knowledge

Concept maps serve as a powerful learning tool in STEM education, allowing students to visualize relationships between different ideas​.

New Insights from This Study

✔ Guided concept mapping provides a structured way for students to connect complex scientific ideas, making learning more meaningful.
✔ Students using scaffolded concept maps performed better in assessments, as they could organize and recall information more effectively.
✔ Providing step-by-step instructions for building concept maps helped reduce cognitive overload and improved students’ confidence in their learning process​.

Practical Applications: How Educators Can Use This Research

📌 Introduce step-by-step concept mapping techniques in science lessons to help students understand difficult concepts systematically.
📌 Use group-based concept mapping activities to encourage peer learning and improve conceptual clarity among students.
📌 Assess student understanding by asking them to create their own concept maps as a way of demonstrating their knowledge integration.

Conclusion

Scaffolded concept mapping enhances students' comprehension, making science education more effective and engaging.

Reference
Fabiyi, D. G., Adesope, O., Danielson, R. W., Sunday, O. J., Oni, O. S., & Nishida, K. (2024). Concept Map Scaffolding in Chemistry Education: Enhancing Learning Effectiveness and Comprehension. Journal of STEM Education, 25(4), 12–17.

Suggested Citation
Ross, E. M., & Malar, D. B. J. (2025). Concept Maps for Better Understanding. Excellent Educator, 2(7), 3.