The Effect of Using Mind Maps and Conceptual Maps on the Achievement and the Development of Creative Thinking for The Sixth Grade Students in Science in Palestine

This study aimed at investigating the effect of using Mind Maps and Conceptual Maps on the achievement and development of creative thinking for the Sixth Grade Students in Science in governmental schools of Qabatiya Directorate of Education in the second semester of the academic year (2014/2015). To answer the questions of the study and test its hypotheses, the researcher used the quasi-experimental approach and quasi- experimental design. The study was conducted on a sample of (70) female students from the sixth grade, distributed into two sections in the same school, consisted of two groups, the experimental group (35) students, and the control group (35) students. The experimental group was taught using a teaching program based on Mind Maps and Conceptual Maps, while the control group was taught using the usual method of teaching. Two tools were used in the study:an achievement test (34) items, measure of creative thinking (7) items have been used to ensure the validity and reliability of study tools.it had also been calculated difficulty and discrimination parameters of achievement test. The achievement test and the creative thinking measure, were applied before and after teaching the education unit, and the analysis of variance (ANCOVA) was used to determine the effect of using a teaching program based on Mind Maps and Conceptual Maps on the dependent variables in the study. The results of the study showed that: • There are significant statistical differences at the level of (α=0.05) between the average score sixth grade students in achievement test.Those students learned according to the program based on Mind Maps and Conceptual Maps (experimental group), and those who learned the science in an usual way (control group), and the difference was in favour of the group which had used a teaching program based on Mind Maps and Conceptual Maps (experimental group). • There are significant statistical differences at the level of (α=0.05) between the average score sixth grade students on creative thinking test. Those students learned according to the program based on Mind Maps and Conceptual Maps (experimental group), and who learned the science in usual way (control group), and the difference was in favour of the group which had used a teaching program based on Mind Maps and Conceptual Maps (experimental group). The Researcher recommended adopting Mind Maps and Conceptual Maps in teaching and using them widely in the Palestinian curriculum because they increase motivation of students towards learning and develop students' thinking.