A research on the use of the mind mapping technique to improve the English reading comprehension skills of high school foreign language students

This study was conducted to examine the effect of the mind mapping technique on improving the English reading comprehension skills of 11th and 12th grade foreign language students. The research employed an action research design, and the implementations were carried out during the 2024-2025 academic year at an Anatolian high school in the Çay district of Afyonkarahisar. The study group consisted of a total of 25 students, 14 from the 11th grade and 11 from the 12th grade. In the research, students' reading comprehension skills were supported by the mind mapping technique, and the implementation process was carried out in three action plans. Data collection tools included an English reading comprehension test prepared by the researcher, student diaries, semi-structured focus group interviews, and teacher diaries. Quantitative data were analyzed using paired samples t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Mann Whitney-U test, while qualitative data were analyzed through thematic analysis and frequency analysis. According to the findings, there were statistically significant differences between the pre-test and post-test scores of both 11th and 12th grade students, indicating that the mind mapping technique had a positive effect on the development of reading comprehension skills. Analyses conducted based on grade level and gender revealed no significant differences, suggesting that the technique had a similar effect across all groups. According to students' views, the mind mapping technique provided benefits in areas such as organizing information, vocabulary learning, identifying main ideas of texts, visualization, increasing motivation, and improving reading performance. Teacher diaries also revealed that students took a more active role in reading activities and that lessons conducted with the technique increased students' interest and attention levels. In conclusion, the mind mapping technique is recommended as an effective method to improve the English reading comprehension skills of high school foreign language students. Integrating this technique into foreign language teaching programs will support students' processes of analyzing, organizing, and comprehending texts, thereby enhancing their reading skills.