THE EFFECT OF USING CONCEPT MAP WITH TEACHING COURSEWARE OF FORM 1 SCIENCES [MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, MALAYSIA] IN INCREASING THE ENVIRONMENTAL KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS

This study aims to note the effects of using concept map along with the Teaching Courseware of Form 1 Science (Ministry of Education, Malaysia) in increasing the environmental knowledge and awareness. The focus of the study is on Chapter 5 of the Form 1 Science subject: Air Pollution – The Effects, Preventing and Controlling . Seventy form 1 students from two secondary schools were the respondents. The pre-test and post-test were administered on both groups to determine their level of knowledge and awareness. This quasi-experiment compares the use of concept map with course ware as opposed to the use of the courseware by itself. The respondents of the experimental group went through the three stages of concept map building (individual, group and with teacher’s guidance) after learning to utilise the courseware. However, the control group learns with the help of the courseware only. The concept map serves as the independent variable in this study whereas the dependent variables are the knowledge and the awareness of the environment. The moderator variable is the high and low achievement of the students in the science subject for the UPSR examination. Data for the pre-test and post-test were analysed using the independent samples t-test and the Pearson correlation test. The score of the pre-test and post-test showed that there was a significant difference between both the groups with the increase favouring the experimental group. The low achievement students showed a significant increase in their environmental knowledge compared to the high achievement students. The correlation test showed a positive relationship between knowledge and awareness of the environment. The results suggest that the use of concept map with courseware is the best combination of cognitive strategy for the classroom in increasing the knowledge and awareness of the environment among students.