Peta konsep sebagai alat pentaksiran kemahiran berfikir aras tinggi dalam aktiviti pembelajaran makmal

Abstract

Most studies on concept mapping focus on its impacts on students’ understanding in various fields. Only a few empirical studies have been reported about its application to improve students' Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) especially in laboratory learning activities. Therefore, mixed methods which involved a set of pre-experimental designs quantitatively and think-aloud protocols qualitatively were used to bridge the gap. The main objective of this study was to measure the effect of concept mapping as an alternative assessment tool to enhance students' understanding and HOTS in laboratory learning activities. Students' understanding of the electrolysis concept and their level of achievement in answering higher level questions were identified through the use of the assessment tool. Their thinking process while using the concept mapping was also investigated. The samples of the study comprised a total of 32 Form-4 students of a boarding school in Johor. A training module on low-directed concept mapping construction and assessment tasks on laboratory learning activities was used as the research interventions. The results obtained showed an increase in the understanding and HOTS of the students about electrolysis concept through the interventions carried out. Exploration of the students' thinking processes showed that students were able to demonstrate content-based explanation about electrolysis concept and to conduct monitoring activities more often while constructing post-intervention concept mapping compared with pre-intervention concept mapping. The use of concept mapping enhanced students' ability to define electrolysis more broadly and meaningfully, to make a more accurate comparison of a concept as well as to make better justifications of an electrolysis process. The students were also able to display many strategies in constructing concept mapping to show effective reflection frequently and to check the final quality of concept mapping regularly. These processes were found to have caused the increase in the students’ understanding and their HOTS. Based on the overall results of the study, it was suggested that, an alternative assessment framework on laboratory learning activities using concept mapping be adopted to enhance HOTS among students especially in Chemistry education. In conclusion, alternative assessment activities using concept mapping in laboratory learning activities were able to enhance students’ conceptual understanding and these activities acted as a stimulus to improve their HOTS. These findings would have implications for teachers, students and policy makers in Chemistry education, especially in initiatives taken towards enhancement of students' HOTS.