The Effect of the Concept Maps Strategy on the Cognitive Achievement of Students of the Department of Art Education in the Subject of Methods of Teaching Art Education

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the Concept Mapping Strategy on the cognitive achievement of students in the Department of Art Education in the course Methods of Teaching Art Education, as well as to determine the magnitude of its effect on students' achievement. The researcher adopted the experimental method using a pre-test and post-test equivalent groups design. The study population consisted of third-year students in the Department of Art Education, College of Basic Education, Al-Mustansiriyah University, during the academic year (2025–2026). The research sample consisted of (60) students, randomly assigned into two groups: an experimental group (30 students) taught using the Concept Mapping Strategy and a control group (30 students) taught using the conventional teaching method.To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher developed a cognitive achievement test consisting of (12) multiple-choice items. The instrument's face validity was established through expert review, while its reliability coefficient reached (0.82) using the Kuder–Richardson Formula (KR-20). The collected data were analyzed using the independent-samples t-test, paired-samples t-test, and Eta squared to determine the effect size.The findings revealed statistically significant differences at the (0.05) level in favor of the experimental group in the post-achievement test. The results also showed significant improvement between the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group. Furthermore, the calculated effect size was (0.68), indicating a high educational effect. The study concluded that the Concept Mapping Strategy is an effective instructional strategy for improving students'. Keywords: Concept Mapping Strategy, Cognitive Achievement, Methods of Teaching Art Education, Art Education Students.