Investigations of the Effect of Format of Advance Organizers on Learners' Achievement on Understanding of Science Concepts

Abstract

Advance organizer strategies based on cognitive theories have been found to have an impact on learning in the early studies. However, recent studies have found inconclusive results when type and format of the advance organizers were taken into account. This study investigated the impact of different formats of advance organizers (graphic with text explanation, voice narration, and concept map) on learners understanding of science concepts. A total of 136 high school students participated in this study. A factorial design was utilized for the experiment using format of advance organizers as the independent variable while learners achievement on retention and transfer test regarding the learning content as the dependent variables. The findings showed that using graphical advance organizers, especially the concept map, worked effectively in achieving high school students understanding of the learning content. The results showed that using concept map was likely to conceptually anchored viewers attention on key elements of reading content. When designing instructional materials, it is advised to take the advantage of graphical organizers to achieve understanding of abstract science concepts. Implications and suggestions for effective instructional design and for future studies are provided in this paper.