Font Size: 

Meaningful learning is attained when new information is successfully linked to the learner’scognitive structure. It involves the representation of an integrated system in which ideas andthoughts are cohesively linked together, enabling the learner to subconsciously refine andstrengthen their knowledge construction. This study implements Concept Mapping as theintervention tool to help students facilitate and organise information by generating patternsand mental models of concepts. Most studies supporting the use of concept maps concludedremarks of significant contribution through pre-and post-test results. Little is known on how aconcept map develops students’ conceptual understanding. This study aims to extend furtherthe accuracy of students’ proper understanding by inviting them to Self-Explain their conceptmaps, which should provide a better judgement on what students had acquired during thelearning process. There were 22 biology Year 10 students from a secondary school in BruneiDarussalam that completed the pre- and post- tests, invited to Self- Explain their conceptmap, followed by a semi-structured interview. The quantitative analysis revealed a significantimpact of the concept map intervention on students’ learning performance. Further analysisusing the Self-Explain strategy indicated a better picture of students' accurate understandingrather than only drawing from the results of the pre-and post-tests. These findings providesupport for assessing students concept maps using Self-Explain strategy that would otherwisemask students’ accurate level understanding of any learn concepts.

Concept Map; Self-Explain; Pre-and Post-test; Mental Models; Brunei Darussalam