Comparison Between Collaborative and Individual Concept Mapping with the Traditional Method in Teaching English

This study investigated the effectiveness of Concept Mapping (CM) used as a teaching and learning strategy in English as a Second Language (ESL). The research design was semi-experimental with a pre-test and a post-test. Thirty-three ESL students were allocated randomly in three experimental groups: collaborative CM, individual CM and the traditional teaching method. The participants were matched according to their English language proficiency. The data was analyzed using mixed ANOVA. The findings showed there were statistically significant differences between collaborative CM and traditional teaching both in student’s vocabulary learning and comprehension tests. The comprehension scores of individual CM group were significantly higher than the traditional group but there was not any difference in vocabulary scores.