Master of Education
ENHANCING SCIENCE CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING THROUGH MIND MAPPING AMONG YEAR SIX DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMME PUPILS
Presentor: Philipda Wong Lo Ping ((E60109240043)
Chapters 1, 2 & 3 | Project Proposal Presentation
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
01
Chapter 1
Introduction — Background, Problem Statement, Objectives & Research Questions
02
Chapter 2
Literature Review — Conceptual Understanding, Mind Mapping, Theoretical Frameworks
03
Chapter 3
Methodology — Research Design, Sample, Instruments, Data Collection & Analysis
CHAPTER 1 | Background of the Study
CONTEXT
• Malaysia's Dual Language Programme (DLP)
• Science taught in English to strengthen English proficiency
• Aims to prepare pupils for global academic demands
• Selected schools implement DLP under MOE (2021)
CHALLENGE IDENTIFIED
• Cognitive overload: processing science content + English simultaneously
• Pupils struggle with scientific terminology in English (Lim & Tan, 2022)
• Heavy reliance on memorisation over meaningful understanding
PROPOSED
SOLUTION
Structured &
Teacher-Guided
Mind Mapping
Strategy
Grounded in:
• Multimedia Learning Theory (Mayer, 2020)
• Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller et al., 2023)
CHAPTER 1 | Statement of the Problem
Year 6 DLP pupils showed limited Science conceptual understanding when taught in English.
1
Difficulty identifying main ideas from extended explanations
2
Struggled to connect related scientific concepts
3
Low confidence explaining ideas in English
4
Inconsistent performance in written assessments
Root Cause: Conventional note-taking was insufficient for organising complex bilingual scientific information (Sweller et al., 2023)
CHAPTER 1 | Objectives & Research Questions
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
RO1
Determine the level of Science conceptual understanding among Year Six DLP pupils prior to the implementation of the structured and teacher-guided mind mapping strategy.
RO2
Implement the structured mind mapping strategy in selected Science lessons
RO3
Examine the effectiveness in improving pupils' conceptual understanding
RO4
Explore pupils' engagement and learning behaviours during intervention
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
RQ1
What is the level of Science conceptual understanding among Year Six DLP pupils prior to the implementation of the structured and teacher-guided mind mapping strategy?
RQ2
To what extent does the mind mapping strategy improve Science conceptual understanding?
RQ3
How does mind mapping influence pupils' engagement and learning behaviours during lessons?
02
CHAPTER 2
Review of
Related Literature
Conceptual Understanding • Mind Mapping • Theoretical Foundations • Empirical Evidence
CHAPTER 2 | Science Conceptual Understanding
What is Conceptual Understanding?
Ability to grasp relationships among ideas and apply knowledge meaningfully — not just memorise isolated facts (Mayer, 2020)
SELECT
Identify relevant information
▶
ORGANISE
Build coherent structure
▶
INTEGRATE
Connect to prior knowledge
▶
APPLY
Transfer to new contexts
Pacaci (224)
The use of a structured comparison task and visual representation showed a great improvement in conceptual learning in contrast to typical teaching methods.
Schroeder et al. (2022)
Participants relying on concept maps were better retaining and transferring knowledge than those basing their revision on a text format.
Sweller et al. (2023)
Limited working memory — structured design essential for schema construction
DLP CHALLENGE:
Bilingual instruction adds cognitive load — language processing interferes with conceptual reasoning (Graham et al., 2022; Lim & Tan, 2022)
Figure 2.1 shows the conceptual framework guiding this study. The independent variable is structured teacher-guided mind mapping. This strategy helps pupils organise concepts visually. Improved organisation leads to better conceptual understanding and increased engagement.
Figure 2.1 Conceptual Framework
CHAPTER 2 | Theoretical Foundations
MULTIMEDIA LEARNING THEORY
Mayer (2020)
Learners process info through VISUAL and VERBAL channels. Mind mapping integrates both — keywords (verbal) + spatial layout (visual) — strengthening encoding and retrieval.
COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY
Sweller et al. (2023)
Reduce EXTRANEOUS load (unnecessary complexity) → Support GERMANE processing (schema construction). Mind mapping provides scaffold that organises information systematically.
HOW MIND MAPPING ADDRESSES THESE THEORIES
Visual Organisation
Hierarchical branches reduce cognitive overload
Dual Coding
Keywords + spatial layout activate both channels
Schema Building
Links between concepts build lasting understanding
Active Learning
Pupils engage deeply with content construction
CHAPTER 2 | Empirical Evidence on Mind Mapping
Research supports the effectiveness of mind mapping in Science education:
Rahman & Ismail (2023)
Mind mapping significantly improved academic achievement in Science among Malaysian primary pupils.
Zhang & Wong (2025)
Mind mapping enhanced engagement and conceptual connections in bilingual Science instruction.
Nesbit and Adesope (2006) Meta-analysis
Mind mapping lead to positive effects of graphic organizers.
Schroeder et al. (2022)
The active construction of conceptual representations acted positively on learning outcomes.
Gap identified: Limited studies on teacher-guided, structured mind mapping in Malaysian DLP Science classrooms — justifying this action research.
03
CHAPTER 3
Research
Methodology
Research Design • Sample • Instruments • Data Collection • Analysis
CHAPTER 3 | Research Design
RESEARCH APPROACH
Practitioner-led, systematic and reflective process to improve professional teaching practice (Kemmis & McTaggart, 1988). Researcher is also the classroom teacher.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Single-group Pre-test
& Post-test Design
Primarily quantitative approach. Measures performance before and after the intervention to determine improvement (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
RESEARCH PROCEDURE FLOW
PRE-TEST
Baseline conceptual understanding
▶
INTERVENTION
(4 Weeks)
Structured mind mapping lessons
▶
POST-TEST
Measure improvement
▶
ANALYSIS
Descriptive & inferential statistics
CHAPTER 3 | Action Research Cycle
Figure 3.1 Action Research Cycle (Plan–Act–Observe–Reflect)
CHAPTER 3 | Research Setting & Participants
RESEARCH SETTING
National primary school, Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia — DLP participating school
Topic taught: Topic 3 — Microorganisms (Year 6 Science syllabus)
Lesson frequency: 2 times/week, 60 minutes each
20
Pupils
Year 6 DLP class
55%
Male
11 pupils
45%
Female
9 pupils
12
Years old
All participants
Convenience sampling
Researcher is the classroom teacher — allows study within existing learning environment
WHY MICROORGANISMS TOPIC?
Multiple interconnected concepts (types, characteristics, growth factors, effects)
Requires understanding relationships — not just memorising isolated facts
Ideal for mind mapping to visually organise and connect related ideas
CHAPTER 3 | Data Collection Instruments
Section A:
Objective Questions—assess factual understanding
Section B:
Short structured questions — assess conceptual understanding
Section C:
Extended Response Question — assess higher-order thinking
Score: 20 | Same format, reordered for post-test
Concept Accuracy — 0 to 4
Hierarchical Organisation — 0 to 4
Relational Links — 0 to 4
Elaboration & Examples — 0 to 4
Maximum score = 16 | Evaluated Week 1 & Week 4
VALIDITY & RELIABILITY
Content Validity
Instruments reviewed by 2 experienced Science teachers for syllabus alignment
Test–Retest Reliability (Pre-test & Post-test)
The same test was administered twice to ensure consistency of pupils’ scores.
Inter-Rater Reliability (Mind Map Rubric)
Two raters scored the mind maps using the rubric to ensure consistency in scoring
CHAPTER 3 | Data Collection Procedure
Figure 3.4 Data Collection Procedure of the Study
INSTRUMENT 1: Pre-test / Post-test
INSTRUMENT 1: Pre-test / Post-test
INSTRUMENT 2: Mind Map Rubric
Criteria | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Concept Accuracy | No correct concepts | Few correct concepts | Some correct concepts | Mostly correct concepts | All concepts accurate |
Hierarchical Organisation | No organisation | Poor organisation | Basic organisation | Clear hierarchy | Well-structured hierarchy |
Relational Links | No links | Few links | Some links | Clear links | Multiple meaningful links |
Elaboration | No details | Limited details | Some examples | Adequate examples | Detailed explanations |
Maximum score = 16
CHAPTER 3 | Data Analysis & Ethical Considerations
DATA ANALYSIS APPROACH
Descriptive Statistics
Mean scores, standard deviations, percentages
Pre-test & post-test comparison
Week 1 vs Week 4 mind map rubric scores
Inferential Statistics
Paired-sample t-test
Significance level: p < 0.05
Determines if improvement is statistically significant
Supporting Qualitative
Selected pupil mind maps examined
Illustrates improvements in relational connections
Depth of conceptual elaboration tracked
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Parental consent obtained before commencing the study
Pupils informed about voluntary participation
Anonymised identities — identification codes used instead of names
Data used solely for academic research purposes
THANK YOU!