The Efficacy of Concept Mapping Instructional Strategy in Remedying Students' Problem-Solving Difficulties in Stoichiometry

Abstract

Concept mapping strategy has been found to be effective in science education. However, its comparative effect in remedying male and female students’ problem-solving difficulties in stoichiometric tasks has not been documented. The study aimed at finding the role of concept mapping in remedying students’ problem-solving difficulties in stoichiometry. The pre-test-post-test-control group design was employed. 60 male and female students were randomly selected, pretested and assigned into control and concept mapping groups. The control group was taught using lecture method, while the experimental group was taught using concept mapping. A Stoichiometric Problem Solving Test (SPST) was developed and used. Analyses of post-test mean scores using t-test (α = 0.05) showed that there was a significant difference between the post-test means scores of students taught stoichiometry using concept mapping strategy and those in the control. No significant difference between the post-test means scores of male and female students taught using concept mapping strategy was found. The efficacy of concept mapping strategy in enhancing students’ problem solving ability in stoichiometry among male and female students was therefore established. The study recommended the use of concept mapping strategy by chemistry teachers to teach stoichiometry to improve problem solving among male and female students.