A Different Approach to Preparing Novakian Concept Maps: The Indexing Method

People who claim that applying Novakian concept maps in Turkish is problematic base their arguments largely upon the structural differences between the English and Turkish languages. This study aims to introduce the indexing method to eliminate problems encountered in Turkish applications of Novakian maps and to share the preliminary results of its application. For this purpose, 20 pre-service chemistry teachers who had mastered the concept-mapping method after seven weeks of intense education were asked to prepare concept maps on the topic of atoms by using both the Novakian and indexing methods. The maps were qualitatively assessed by experts regarding informational content. The participants were asked to state in writing their opinions about the indexing method. The resulting analysis revealed that the participants were able to express the relation between two concepts more realistically when they used the indexing method, and the resulting maps were much richer in informational content. Almost all participants (95%) stated that the new method was more convenient in terms of reflecting the necessary mental information. The results of the study show the indexing method to be a much more convenient and informative way of preparing concept maps for both teachers and students.