The effects of using mind map in teaching english on students? academic achievements, attitudes and retention in primary education

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of using of mind maps in teaching English in primary education for the educational year of 2010-2011 on the academic achievements, attitudes and permanence of students and to determine the opinions of the course teacher and of the students? participation in the application. The study was applied to sixth grade students studying in Yücel Primary School in the province of Elazığ. Two different groups of sixth grade students were assigned to be studied. The subjects "School - Weather Conditions" were chosen in primary school sixth grade English lesson as the field of study.Quantitative and qualitative data were used in the study. In this regard, the study was conducted within combined research method. While the pattern with pretest-?ndtest control group were preferred in the collection of quantitative data, discussions and observation techniques were used in the collection of qualitative data. Students included in the study were assigned impartially and constituted the study and control groups of the study. While the courses were taught to students from the study group by mind map method, traditional teaching method was used for students from control group.Total number of students from both the study and control group participated in the study was 65. While 31 students formed the study group of the research (48%), 34 students (52%) formed the control group. The achievement test prepared by the researcher in order to test their knowledge on specified units and which was comprised of 43 questions and applied to 248 students was reduced to 38 questions with necessary arrangements by expert opinions and took its final form. The achievement test that was prepared was applied to both groups for three times as a permenance test to measure the level of permenance 3 months after the end of pretest, endtest and applications. Average difficulty of the test was determined to be 0.65. Reliability coefficient of the test was found 0.74. In light of these data, the test can be described as a reliable test.And the 30-item attitude scale created by the researcher in order to determine the attitudes of students towards the English course took its final form by being reduced to 27 items by expert opinions after pilot applications. Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the attitude scale applied to 126 student as part of pilot applications in order to determine the attitudes towards the English course was found 0.821. Following the factor analysis, KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) score of the scale was found .745 and Bartlett test result was 1053.799. Significance of this value is .000.Findings of the study can be briefly listed as follows:?It was seen that study group students tested by mind map method were more successful than control group students tested by traditional teaching method.?It was seen that study group students tested by mind map method exhibited a more positive attitude toward the English course in the process.?It was determined that study group students liked mindmapping and wished mindmapping to be applied in other courses, too.?It was observed that there was also an increase in the success of control group students taught by traditional teaching method in time. And this indicates that achievement can also be attained in courses given by traditional teaching method.?Results of the permanence test performed to measure the permanence of the knowledge levels of group indicated that the permanence levels of study group students were higher.Following suggestions can be made based on the findings of the study:?Providing students with material with rich content in teaching a foreign language such as English can make it possible for students to develop a positive attitude towards the said language.?Mind map method, which allows students to improve their creativity without being subject to many restrictions can be used in all units in the English course.?Mind maps which make positive contributions to the learning of students can be included in the course books by which the students can use their mind maps as an exercise in connection with the subject.