OPINIONS AND APPLICATION EXPERIENCES OF SOCIAL STUDIES PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS REGARDING CONCEPT MAPS AND MIND MAPS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine social studies prospective teachers’ experiences in preparing concept and mind maps and their views on the usability of these tools in social studies teaching. The study was conducted using a basic qualitative research design. The study group consisted of social studies prospective teachers studying at the faculty of education of a state university. Data were collected through interview forms, reflective journals, and participant products and analyzed using content analysis. The findings showed that prospective teachers generally evaluated the process positively and developed awareness regarding the instructional use of visual learning tools. While participants stated that the process improved creativity, supported retention of learning, and increased awareness of the teaching process, they also experienced some difficulties in visualization, determining appropriate topics, and establishing relationships between concepts. Overall, the prospective teachers considered concept and mind maps as effective instructional tools and stated that they intend to use them in their future teaching practices.