Evaluation of the Power of Concept Map-Based Tests in Replacing Traditional Tests

Traditional tests have been criticized by educational evaluation researchers for many years. In this regard, concept maps have shown that in addition to educational goals, they can also be used as educational evaluation tools, so the purpose of this research is to evaluate the power of tests based on concept maps as an alternative approach for tests. It was traditional.

The statistical population of the research consisted of all first-year students of experimental sciences in Eslamabad-e-Gharb city in the academic year 2017-2018. The sample of the research included students of four classes (109 people) of the first year of the biology course of the second secondary level, who were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling. The research tools included a four-choice educational achievement test, a hierarchical conceptual map completion test, a network conceptual map completion test, a hierarchical conceptual map drawing test, and a network conceptual map drawing test. The research design was an evaluation design. Statistical methods included Pearson's correlation coefficient, Kuder-Richardson coefficient, independent two-sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (Kruskal-Wallis test and Benferroni's post hoc test).

The research results showed that four tests based on concept maps have high content validity and reliability. In terms of criterion validity, four concept map-based tests had different correlation values ​​with a four-choice test. In terms of differential validity, with the exception of the conceptual network map drawing test, the other three tests were able to detect the difference between the scores of the two groups of high and low academic achievement.

The results of the present study showed that it is possible to use concept maps as evaluation tools, at least from a technical point of view; Therefore, it is necessary that the relevant officials in the country's education and evaluation system have a special and different view on the practical role of concept maps in the context of being used as a new and alternative evaluation tool.