The effect of using concept maps on scholar succes of student and their learning of new concepts when teaching genetics unit of science on eighth grade

The main purpose of this study is to search the effect of using concept maps onscholar success of students and their learning of new concepts when teaching?genetics? unit of science lesson on eighth class. The search is implemented and settledon the model which consists of pretest-posttest control group. Eighth class studentswere randomly selected from four different classes in a primary school in Yüre ir inAdana to constitute the experimental and control groups. 100 students participated thesearch in all consisting 30 in the first experimental group; 22 in the second experimentalgroup; 21 in the first control group and 27 in the second control group.In the study, the points of the experimental groups which use the teaching techniquebased on the concept maps and the points of the control groups which use traditionalteaching method were calculated on their own. A comparison was made between pointsof posttest knowledge phase, comprehension phase and total points with total posttestpoints of concept acquirement. Personal information form, test of scholar success andtest of concept acquirement were used to collect experimental data.The data that was got at the end of the study was analyzed by using qualitative andquantitative methods. One-way variance analysis, Pearson correlation analysis andcovariance analysis methods were used to assess the data. Furthermore, to evaluate theconcept maps prepared on the base of test of concept acquirement a rubric (graduationscale) was used.At the end of the study, it was determined that there was a significant differencebetween the points (posttest knowledge phase, comprehension phase and total pointsand total posttest points of concept acquirement) of the experimental groups which wereexposed to teaching technique based on the concept maps and control groups whichwere exposed to traditional teaching methods. That difference was to supportexperimental groups. Merely, it was found that there wasn?t a meaningful differencebetween the first experimental group and first control group points of knowledge levelof scholar success posttest.Key words: Concept map, concept acquirement, traditional teaching method, genetics,scholar success