The effect of mind map on metacognition and achievement in cooperative learning environment

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of mind maps in a cooperative learning environment on sixth-grade students' metacognition, academic achievement, and retention in the "Systems in Our Body" unit of the science course. The study used a nonequivalent control group design, one of the quasi-experimental designs. A total of 93 sixth grade students participated in the study, 23 in the control group, 22 in the cooperative learning mind map group, 25 in the cooperative learning group and 23 in the mind map group. The ongoing teaching method was applied in the control group. In the cooperative learning-mind map group, mind mapping was used in a cooperative learning environment. In the cooperative learning group, only cooperative learning was used without mind mapping. In the mind map group, only mind mapping was used without cooperative learning. The "Systems in Our Body Achievement Test" (SOBAT) was used to measure academic achievement, and the "Metacognitive Awareness Inventory for Children - Form B" (Jr. MAI-B) was used to measure metacognition. SOBAT and Jr. MAI-B were administered as pre-tests to compare the groups before the intervention. After approximately six weeks of implementation, the same tests were administered as post-tests. To measure the retention of students' academic achievement, the SOBAT was re-administered four weeks after the post-test. One-way ANOVA was conducted to compare the groups in terms of pre-test SOBAT and Jr. MAI-B. Similarly, one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the post-test SOBAT, Jr. MAI-B, and retention test data. The analysis revealed that the use of mind mapping in a cooperative learning environment is more effective in enhancing achievement and metacognitive awareness in the "Systems in Our Body" unit compared to cooperative learning, mind mapping alone, and the ongoing teaching method. The findings related to retention also showed that the cooperative learning method alone and the use of mind mapping in a cooperaitve learning environment are more effective in improving retention in the "Systems in Our Body" unit compared to using mind mapping alone and the ongoing teaching method. Keywords: cooperative learning, mind map, metacognition, achievement, systems in our body