The effect of teaching based on cognitive map on learning areas among learners of vocational education

The main purpose of vocational education is to prepare manpower with entrepreneurial ability to use their knowledge and skills in practice. To this end, modular courses are currently offered in a traditional way. This study aimed to examine effectiveness of a new teaching method and its impact based on cognitive map and learning areas. A sample of 60 learners was selected at random using cluster sampling. Respondents were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. A quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest was used. Separate questionnaires were administered to participants to collect data on academic achievement, cognitive strategies and attitude. Data were analyzed using covariance and post-hoc comparisons. Results indicated that both methods based on cognitive map were more effective on all learning areas except verbal information in comparison with the conventional method. Meanwhile, among cognitive map methods the combined one was more effective compared to the other in terms of problem solving skills and cognitive strategies.