Work

The Effect of Concept Mapping on Iranian Intermediate EFL Learners' Self-efficacy and Expository Writing Accuracy

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the questions of whether 1) Does concept mapping knowledge have any effect on Intermediate EFL learners' self-efficacy? 2) Does concept mapping knowledge have any effect on Intermediate EFL learners' expository writing accuracy?The following five steps determine the delivery and the sequence of the study: 1) A TOEFL test (writing section) as the pretest, 2) selfefficacy questionnaire, 3) 8 sessions of instruction on concept map construction with experimental group, 4) integration of concept mapping as a pre-writing strategy in experimental group, and 5) post-test of writing and self-efficacy questionnaire with both groups.Firstly, the writing Proficiency Test along with self-efficacy questionnaire was given to 180 learners.Based on the results of TOEFL writing test and self-efficacy questionnaire, 60 intermediate homogeneous participants were selected and randomly assigned to two groups of control and experimental.In the course of 22-sessions, during regular class time 15 minutes were devoted to concept mapping.Each session the participants of both groups were given a writing task besides their course book writing section.The students in the experimental group were engaged in concept map construction after writing each task and were organized their pre-writing activities such as discussion, doing exercises, and reflective practices according to their constructed maps.A post-test of writing and an efficacy questionnaire were administered to all the participants and the pair sample t-test, and independent sample t-test were used to answer the study questions.The results showed that concept mapping had a significant effect on selfefficacy and expository writing accuracy.

Source: Theory and Practice in Language Studies

DOI: 10.4304/tpls.3.11.2117-2127

Authors: Behnaz Nobahar, Amir Reza Nemat Tabrizi, Masoud Shaghaghi

Institutions: Islamic Azad University of Ahar, Islamic Azad University Shabestar, Payame Noor University, Lancaster University

Language: English

Topic: EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning

Subfield: Language and Linguistics

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Islamic Azad University, Payame Noor University