Concept Mapping: Teaching Science through Two Dimensional Method

Abstract

Present day teaching learning process is shifted from Teacher centred approach to learner centred approach. It was a time when Teacher played an active role and learners were the passive listener. The process of teaching and learning was unidirectional. But with the shift of teaching learning process from teacher centred to learner centred approach, the role of both teacher and learner has changed. This learner centred approach is based on constructivism. Which believes that knowledge is a process of construction and every individual constructs their own knowledge by connecting their previous knowledge with present experience. There are numbers of teaching method, which supports constructivism, where children play the key role and the process of communication is two ways. One such method is named as concept mapping method. Which was first invented by Joseph D.Novak  during 1970s at Cornell University. Concept mapping constitutes concept map. It is a graphical method which organises and represents knowledge in hierarchical fashion and the most general concept is written at the top and most specific concept is written below the most general concept. Here the concepts are presented with a box, which may be of circular in shape or of other shape. Two concepts are linked together through a connecting line linking the concepts and word on the connecting line is called linking word or linking phrases which specify the relationship between two concepts. Thus, in this research article author has intended to highlight on concept mapping and its multiple utility for in an area of teaching and learning.