effects of mind mapping on freshmen’s reading comprehension ability at ho chi minh city university of transport

LIST OF TABLES Table 3.2: The information of the control group and the experimental group Table 3.3.2.1.2: Information of reading text taught to both groups Table 3.3.2.2: Distribution q

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

EFFECTS OF MIND MAPPING ON FRESHMEN’S READING COMPREHENSION ABILITY

AT HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TRANSPORT

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements

for the degree of Master of Arts in TESOL

Submitted by: NGO THI PHUONG THAO Supervisor: Assoc Prof Dr NGUYEN THANH TUNG

HO CHI MINH City

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis entitled is “Effects of mind mapping on freshmen’s reading comprehension ability at Ho Chi Minh city University of Transport is my original work

Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis does not contain material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma

No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the text of the thesis

This thesis has not previously been submitted for any degree in any other tertiary institution

Ho Chi Minh City, 2017

NGO THI PHUONG THAO

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my supervisor, Assoc Prof Dr Nguyen Thanh Tung, for his encouragement, dedicated guidance and valuable comments in the preparation and completion of this study Becoming his student is a lucky and grateful opportunity for me in this MA course He has offered his precious time to give help and professional advice for my thesis

Next, I would also like to express my gratitude to my colleagues at the Foreign Language Faculty of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport who contributed their ideas to help my thesis be better and complete Especially, I would like to give my big thank to my eighty three dear students who enthusiastically participated in my study

Then, I am very grateful to all my instructors who have taught me in the TESOL 8 class with their valuable lessons and supports and my MA classmates at Ho Chi Minh Open University for their assistance

Finally, I would like to thank my beloved family who always stand by me to encourage and give support during my study I am especially thankful to my beloved mother for her support and sacrifice for taking care of my newborn boy, and my kind husband for his help and sympathy so that I could have time to do my thesis

ABSTRACT

Reading comprehension is one of the most important skills in learning a foreign language However, learners face some problems in receiving the information from a reading text, understanding itdeeply and having the motivation to read it Theoretically, mind mapping is a good technique to solve these problems by helping students comprehend a text easily through colorful visuals and feel interested in doing comprehension activities Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate whether the use of mind mapping had any effects on freshmen’s reading comprehension ability and theirattitude towardits use after the period of eight weeks

The study employed the three main data collection instruments of tests, questionnaire and interview The data were collected from 83 freshmen of the Faculty

of Mechanical Engineering at Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport for the

2016-2017 academic year The independent samples t-test was used for proving that the disparity between the means of the pre- and post-tests of both groups was statistically significant, while the questionnaire and interview were used for determining the students’ attitude

The findings show that after treatment, the students of the experimental group made a great progress in their reading comprehension while those of the control group did not present the remarkable improvement In addition, most of the students expressed their positive attitude towards the use of mind mapping in their reading lessons

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Statement of authorship i

Acknowledgements ii

Abstract iii

Table of contents iv

List of abbreviations ix

List of figures x

List of tables xi

Lists of charts xii

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background of the research 1

1.2 Statement of the problem 3

1.3 Research aims and questions 4

1.4 Significance of the research 5

1.5 Organization of the research 6

Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 8

2.1 Mind mapping overview 8

2.2 Types of mind mapping 12

2.2.1 Library mind maps 13

2.2.2 Presentation mind maps 14

2.2.3 Tunnel timeline mind maps 15

2.3 Advantages of using mind mapping in reading comprehension lessons 16

2.4 Stages to use mind mapping in teaching reading comprehension 17

2.4.1 Pre-reading stage 18

2.4.3 Post-reading stage 22

2.5 Mind map figures and how to make a mind map 23

2.5.1 Mind map figures 23

2.5.2 How to make a mind map 24

2.6 Prior studies on the related topic 26

2.7 Chapter summary 27

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 29

3.1 Study setting 29

3.2 Participants 30

3.3 Research design and method of investigation 32

3.3.1 Research design 32

3.3.2 Method of investigation 33

3.3.2.1 Experiment 33

3.3.2.1.1 Pre-test 34

3.3.2.1.2 Experimental teaching process 34

3.3.1.1.3 Post-test 36

3.3.2.2 Questionnaire 37

3.3.2.3 Interview 39

3.4 Analytical framework 40

3.4.1 Tests 40

3.4.2 Questionnaire 41

3.4.3 Interview 42

3.5 Validity and reliability of the instruments 42

3.5.1 Tests 42

3.5.2 Questionnaire 43

3.5.3 Interview 45

3.6 Summary 45

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS 45

4.1 Results of the experiment 45

4.1.1 Resemblance in the pre-test 45

4.1.2 Difference in the post-test 49

4.1.3 Summary 53

4.2 Results of questionnaire 53

4.2.1 The students’ awareness of reading comprehension in learning English and their expectation in improving their reading comprehension ability 54

4.2.2 The students’ reflection on the using of mind mapping in reading comprehension 57

4.2.2.1 The students’ impression on mind mapping 57

4.2.2.2 The students’ reflection on the teacher’s application of mind mapping 58

4.2.2.2.1 The advantages of mind mapping 58

4.2.2.2.1.1 Enhancing students’ motivation 58

4.2.2.2.1.2 Stimulating and facilitating the reading comprehension process 60

4.2.2.2.1.3 Improving students’ group-work skill and students’ creativity 65

4.2.2.2.2 The difficulties of mind mapping 67

4.2.2.2.3 The frequency of using mind mapping 68

4.3 Results from the interview 69

4.3.1 Importance of reading comprehension in learning English 70

4.3.2 Students’ opinion about mind mapping 70

4.3.3 Results and factors affecting the tests 71

4.3.4 Characteristics of mind mapping 72

4.3.5 Summary 73

4.4 Summary 74

CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 75

5.1 Students’ performance in pre-test and post-test 75

5.2 Students’ attitude towards the application of mind mapping 76

5.2.1 Positive aspects 77

5.2.2 Negative aspects 78

5.3 Summary 80

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 81

6.1 Answering the research questions 81

6.2 Evaluation of the study methodology 83

6.2.1 Strengths 83

6.2.2 Weaknesses 84

6.3 Recommendations for reading comprehension teaching and learning 85

6.3.1 For teachers 85

6.3.2 For students 87

6.4 Suggestions for further research 88

6.5 Summary 88

REFERENCES APPENDICES Appendix 1: The typical lesson plan of the experimental group 97

Appendix 2: The typical lesson plan of the control group 101

Appendix 3: List of students of two groups 103

Appendix 4: Pre-test 106

Appendix 5: Post-test 110

Appendix 6: Questionnaire (Vietnamese version) 114

Appendix 7: Questionnaire (English version) 117 Appendix 8: Interview questions 120

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

EFL English as a Foreign Language

HCMCUT Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport

Sig.(2-tailed) Significance (two-tailed)

SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences

TESOL Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

TPP Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement

WTO World Trade Organization

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.3.1: Sample of mind map on the topic of Mind map in the classroom

Figure 2.3.2.1: Model of a library mind map

Figure 2.3.2.2: Model of the presentation mind map

Figure 2.3.2.3: Model of a tunnel timeline mind map

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.2: The information of the control group and the experimental group Table 3.3.2.1.2: Information of reading text taught to both groups

Table 3.3.2.2: Distribution questions on the questionnaire

Table 3.3.2.3: Distribution questions on the interview

Table 3.5.1: Reliability Statistics of tests

Table 3.5.2: Reliability Statistics of questionnaire

Table 4.1.1.1: Pre-test results for the control group

Table 4.1.1.2: Pre-test results for the experimental group

Table 4.1.1.3: Compare means of the pre-test results of the control group and the experimental group

Table 4.1.2.1: Post-test results for the control group

Table 4.1.2.2: Post-test results for the experimental group

Table 4.1.2.3: Compare means of the post-test results of the control group and the experimental group

Table 4.2.2.1a: How students feel about mind mapping

Table 4.2.2.2.1.2b: Students’ responses of the advantage of mind mapping on facilitating the reading comprehension process

Table 4.2.2.2.2: Students’ responses on difficulties of mind mapping in classroom

LIST OF CHARTS

Chart 4.1.3.1: The changes of means of pre-test and post-test for each group

Chart 4.1.3.2.1: Control group’ distribution of score types

Chart 4.1.3.2.2: The experimental group’ distribution of score types

Chart 4.2.1a: Students’ awareness of importance of reading comprehension

Chart 4.2.1b: Students’ opinion on reading comprehension benefits

Chart 4.2.1c: Students’ self-evaluation of their current reading comprehension ability Chart 4.2.1d: Students’ desire of the improvement in reading comprehension ability Chart 4.2.2.1b: Students’ impression on mind mapping

Chart 4.2.2.2.1.1: Students’ responses to the advantages of mind mapping on

enhancing students’ motivation

Chart 4.2.2.2.1.2a: Students’ responses to the advantages of mind mapping on

stimulating the learning process

Chart 4.2.2.2.1.2c: Students’ responses to the advantages of mind mapping on

understanding and memorizing the reading lesson

Chart 4.2.2.2.1.3a: Students’ responses to the advantages of mind mapping on

improving students’ group work skill

Chart 4.2.2.2.1.3b: Students’ responses to the advantages of mind mapping on

improving students’ creativity

Chart 4.2.2.2.3: Students’ responses on the frequency of using of mind mapping

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study

Vietnam has opened its door to the world in order to welcome international friends and as a result, Vietnam has quickly been shifting itself for the growth The growth of economy in the last ten years has been the most impressive with the important milestones of its accession to WTO in 2007, the membership of TPP in

2010 and many international economic activities Therefore, more and more foreign investors have attracted to Vietnam market and this “has facilitated the economic development of the country” (Do, 2006, p.3) To maintain this development, it requires a high quality labor force with good specialist knowledge as well as the mastery of foreign language skills, especially English because it is an international language “English is of great importance for seeking jobs in the domestic labor market, especially good jobs and jobs in foreign business and joint ventures as well as

a chance to be granted a scholarship” (Phan, 2009, p.178) Thus, more than ever, learning English becomes imperative and one of the nuclear issues of educational policy Particularly, the Vietnamese government has carried out the National Foreign Language 2020 Project since 2008 in order to improve the Vietnamese people’s English proficiency

When working in international business, Vietnamese laborers have to read a number of foreign materials to upgrade their knowledge; therefore, one of the English skills that Vietnamese laborers need to master is reading Reading is one of the receptive skills that give the main sources of the input for learners (Hasbun, 2006)

They can learn so many things through reading Thus, reading is considered as an essential part in teaching and learning English as well as in every exam However, it seems to be more complicated for students to read a text in English as a foreign language (EFL) because “language comprehension requires knowledge of the world as well as knowledge of the language” (McNamara &Kitsch, 1996, p.253) Comprehending a reading text requires “a process of making sense of written ideas through meaningful interpretation and interaction with language” (Heilman, Blair & Rupley, 1981, p.242) Therefore, skilled readers need to equip themselves with suitable strategies to comprehend a reading text This means that students should be provided with an appropriate approach to reading comprehension so as to succeed in language learning (Krashen & Terreil, 1983) Nunan (1999) believes that students once equipping themselves with an appropriate strategy will improve their reading skill greatly As a result, there has been so a lot of research conducted to discover effective strategies to enhance reading comprehension in Vietnam such as those of K-W-L, semantic mapping or extensive reading Among them, mind mapping occurs as

Hanoi National University of Education (HNUE) prefer giving the answers to understanding the text deeply Along with this, Vu Thi Hoang Hoanh (2007) finds the same problem at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH) In addition, the method used to teach reading comprehension at Thu Dau Mot University

in Binh Duong is not an innovation It “has more or less focused on the product rather than on the process of learning” (Nguyen Thi Phuoc Binh, 2011, p 4) This causes students a lack of motivation Dinh Thi Huong (2015) states a problem of the freshmen at Thai Nguyen University: They do not feel excited at the reading lessons inside class; they try to finish the tasks that the teacher gives without any encouragement For these reasons, it is worth drawing attention to reading comprehension

1.2 Statement of the problem

In the context of Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport (HCMCUT), students also encounter the same problem There are many students who cannot connect their own knowledge to the new one that they receive from the text and cannot reorganize the text Consequently, they think it is very difficult to do reading comprehension activities and get high achievements The statistical figures of HCMCUT Center of Educational Testing Service and Quality Assessment about the

2016 English entrance test result for new students at HCMCUT showed that over 50% students had enough English proficiency to take an official English course; in this test, over 65% of the students got under 5 marks for reading comprehension Moreover, as reading is one of the important parts in the tests, students seem to prefer to give the answers to the questions given in the text They read the text for answering the

questions only, but not for comprehending it Therefore, students usually ignore the meaning of the text and do not read it in depth In addition, after interviewing informally some students who were getting obstacles in reading comprehension, the researcher found that reading teachers at HCMUT were using a conventional technique by giving students a word list of vocabulary in pre-reading stage, then giving students a text and asking them to read it within 10 minutes After that asking them to answer the questions mentioned in the textbook in while-reading stage and in post-reading stage, students have to summarize the text by filling in the blanks Therefore, students are not interested in the reading activities As a consequence, they lack motivation to read

In summary, there are three main problems that non-English majored students are facing now Firstly, students have difficulties in receiving the text information leading to the low achievements Secondly, they cannot understand the text deeply Finally, they are bored of reading activities

Considering these facts, the researcher proposes using mind maps as an alternative technique to teach reading comprehension Theoretically, mind maps can help students remember and organize ideas from the text easily through colorful visuals Therefore, they can comprehend it and feel interested in doing comprehension activities so that they can motivationally achieve their reading success In addition, practically, there has been a lot of research working on the effects of using mind mapping to enhance reading comprehension in the world in general and in Vietnam in particular Its results assert mind mapping is considered as a successful technique for improving students’ reading comprehension and for enhancing students’ motivation

However, there are still no studies on exploring how students perceive the effects of mind mapping on their learning process as well as their creativity For these reasons, this exploratory study is conducted as an extension to the existing body of knowledge about mind mapping in some studies in Vietnam

1.3 Research aim and questions

This study aims at investigating whether the use of mind mapping has any effects on students’ reading comprehension and their attitude toward its use

To achieve the aim as articulated above, the study addresses the two research questions as follows:

1) What is the effect of the use of mind mapping on students’ reading comprehension ability?

2) What is their attitude towards its use in reading comprehension?

2.1) How do students perceive the effects of mind mapping on their motivation, learning process, group work skill and creativity?

2.2) What are, if any, some problems of using mind mapping in reading comprehension lessons?

1.4 Significance of the research

The research wishes to contribute itself to both theoretical and practical aspects as presented below

Theoretically, by applying mind mapping in reading comprehension, the researcher contributes to the current requirement of English language learners in exploring the strategies to enhance their learning of reading comprehension By examining the use of mind mapping in an academic setting, she hopefully can add

more useful knowledge about the advantages of mind mapping in dealing with reading comprehension

Practically, the findings of this research are expected to help the writer herself in teaching English reading comprehension Besides, they can help English teachers have a useful technique to stimulate their students in reading comprehension

by using mind mapping Finally, students can find reading comprehension interesting through mind maps; hence, they are motivated to read more and improve their reading ability

1.5 Organization of the research

The research is composed of 6 chapters

Chapter 1 introduces the topic of the research with background of the study, statement of the problem, research aim and questions, significance and organization of the research Chapter 2 reviews the relevant literature which includes the theoretical issues of mind mapping with an overview, three basic types of a mind map, advantages of mind mapping in reading comprehension lessons, its features, steps to make it and ends with previous related studies Chapter 3 justifies the research design and methods to collect the data in this research by describing the study setting, participants, three main data collection instruments, analytical framework, and the issues of validity and reliability Chapter 4 analyzes the collected data from tests, questionnaire and interview Chapter 5discusses the findings of the study in terms of the students’ reading ability and their attitude towards the treatment with mind

research questions, proposing some recommendations for teaching and learning reading comprehension, evaluating the methodology of the study, and suggesting some topics for further research

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter shapes a theoretical framework of the study It begins with the concept of mind mapping, then three basic types of a mind map, stages to use mind mapping and advantages of mind mapping in reading comprehension lessons It ends with the assertion of its features and figures out the steps to make a mind map and a review of some previous studies in teaching reading comprehension through a mind map

2.1 Mind mapping overview

Mind map was invented in 1970 by a mathematician, psychologist and brain researcher –Tony Buzan In the early stages, it was known as a concept in development of thought-radiant thinking Radiant thinking is considered as the theory behind mind mapping Buzan (1993) describes that radiant thinking is a machine of mind which radiates from a central image with a number of branches away When the brain receives bit of information such as feeling, perception, thought, it represents the information as a central area which radiates never ending hooks, each of which represents a relationship and each relationship contains its own links and connections (Buzan & Buzan, 2004).Furthermore, Buzan states that instead of linear structures, our brain tends to map the information by using data that the brain possesses to make patterns and organizing them using radiant Therefore, using mind map helps our brain receive information, process it, enhance memory, concentrate and create ideas as a

The process of developing a mind mapping technique was reported by Buzan (1993) that he tried to use mind mapping primarily for memory However, over months of the debate, he was persuaded that creative thinking was also an important application of this technique He promoted this technique to the world and since 1990, the term “mind maps” has been the trademark of the Buzan Organization

Jonassen, Beissner, and Yacci (1993) define mind maps as “representation of concept and their interrelationship that are intended to represent the knowledge structures that humans store in their minds” (p 16) It could be free to style a mind map and make the relationship visual Therefore, students are able to understand a written text simply

Budd (2004) describes a mind map as “a graphic organizer in which the major categories radiate from a central image and fewer categories are portrayed as branches

of larger branches” (p.35) Buzan (2004) chooses another way to define a mind map

to generate ideas, take notes, develop concept and ideas and improve memory (Buzan,

2000, as cited in Nguyen, 2010) In addition, McGriff (2000) and Edward (2011) believe that mind mapping can balance the brain, help to organize thoughts, and improve the creativity and speed of learning

Kaufman(2008)states that “A mind map is a non-linear diagram that makes it

easy to capture key thoughts and connections between ideas in a graphical / visual format”(p.5) It means that the idea or concept will be started in the center to help readers easily connect the thoughts and capture the information Then the branches which capture more detailed information related to the key concepts or ideas radiate away from the thoughts in the center

Figure 1: Mind map on the topic of Mind map in the classroom (Krasnic, 2012)

Based on these definitions, it can be concluded that “a mind map is a creative way to represent idea or information through diagram” (Indrayani, 2014, p.16)

A mind map is a diagram while mind mapping is a technique; therefore, there are different ways to define mind mapping

Mento, Martinelli and Jones (1999) state that mind mapping is a technique which enhances creativity and promotes individuals’ learning They assure individuals

to recall knowledge and to show the relations between different thoughts and concepts So, mind mapping can help teachers get feedback about the development of students’ mental structure It can help students recall their own knowledge and recycle them through the use of visual elements Mind mapping can also be used as a learning activity in a lesson in which students engage themselves in

It is also quoted by Brown (2001) that mind mapping is a technique used as “a specific activity implemented in the classroom that were consistent with a method and therefore were in harmony with an approach as well” (p.14) While Sugiarto (2004) defines mind mapping as “a technique to summarize reading resources and then visualize the problems in the form of map to make it easier to comprehend”(p.11) The students can use mind mapping to quickly determine the information from the reading texts, and grasp the organization of a subject and the way the ideas link together They can also make notes from the reading recourses clear in order to then report them in a map which uses colors, symbols or pictures to link the pieces of information to complete the whole text

Potter and Hernacki (2004) mention the power of the brain when they define mind mapping They state that the mind mapping is a technique to use the whole brain

by using visual and other graphic to create a meaningful impression Using mind mapping means using both sides of the brain; hence, the users can maximize the power of the brain to produce the meaningful things

2.2 Types of mind mapping

Duffill (2004) states “although this might seem at odds with the divergent thinking and creativity that characterizes mind maps, it is important when sharing maps with others that they understand what you are trying to achieve”(p 1) Therefore, it is necessary to determine the basic types of mind mapping Mind mapping can take a lot of forms depending on the purposes that the users would like to capture However, three basic types of mind mapping are taken into consideration because of their popularity in life and especially in reading texts

2.2.1 Library mind maps

Library mind maps can also be known as “reference maps” They are mainly

“used to organize information” visually; hence, it is easy to look through the multiple pieces of information and get a precise and visual understanding without missing any topics (Duffill, 2004, p.1) They are also employed to achieve the purposes of transferring the information and knowledge, storing and sorting the collected information, comprehending and studying something The focus of a library map is the topics; therefore, they are in the center as the core ideas and they direct the sub-headings or statement expanded by following the related topics In order to create a library map, it had better start with a number of messy ideas, then classify them into groups with colors and icons and build linkages between these groups to the central topics in a tree structure Such a library mind map model can be presented in Figure 2.2.1 below:

Figure 2.2.1: Model of a library mind map (Sebastian, 2016)

2.2.2 Presentation mind maps

Presentation mind maps can be seen as “a simplified version of a PowerPoint presentation with a more direct and straightforward approach” (Elmansy, 2006, p 1) They “are used to present ideas to the audience” and visually illustrate “the ideas’ flow so as to track the steps and the information related to each step that the projects develop” (Duffill, 2004, p 1) They are also designed for the purposes of informing something to the audiences in the directed way, arguing a case or making a call for an action Unlike the library mind map, the presentation mind maps focus mainly on the audiences The understanding of the audiences to the presented way in the map decides whether the map is well structured and the information is well positioned or not The attention is focused on in this type of mind map rather than the topics It is better to build a presentation mind map with statements and follow the sequence The model for a presentation mind map can be showed in Figure 2.2.2 as follows:

Figure 2.2.2: Model of the presentation mind map (Edraw, 2017)

2.2.3 Tunnel timeline mind maps

Tunnel timeline mind maps can be called in another name “planning mind maps” This type of mind map is used to visualize the outcomes of projects, strategies, and program plans or solve a problem Therefore, the outcome is placed in the center

as a main topic and the branches around tend to present a path to achieve this outcome The mind map might be a picture of success if the users follow the actions

on the path The key benefit of this type of mind map is the continuity of keeping the eyes on what to do and where to go to reach the expected target because the visualizing plan can remind the focused objective when the users get the obstacles or changing direction In order to make a tunnel timeline mind map, the desired outcome should be placed at the center to help the users stay focused on the achievement Each

objective (Duffill, 2004, p 1).The figure 2.2.3 below is a model of a tunnel timeline mind map

Figure 2.2.3: Model of a tunnel timeline mind map (Edraw, 2017)

2.3 Advantages of mind mapping in reading comprehension lessons

Obviously, it can be said that mind mapping asserts its important role in language learning as an effective technique to enhance language skills, especially reading skill because it produces some considerable benefits in reading comprehension lessons

Firstly, mind-mapping can help students brainstorm their ideas easily and logically because they can capture and group their ideas as these ideas are suggested

“without worrying about where they fit in a hierarchy” (Fiktorius, 2013, p 14) It can

be seen that mind maps are more effective and convenient than a traditional outline

Therefore, it is suitable for the pre-reading activities in which brainstorming is considered as the most useful one Moreover, Murley (2007) explains that the radiating design of a mind-map which arranges the main topic or idea central, with all its major subtopics close to it makes relationships and connections easier to observe and keep the eyes This gives students chances of generating new information of the reading texts in less time

Secondly, mind mapping can enhance students’ motivation in learning reading comprehension because its flexibility can encourage students’ creativity According to Mento, Martinelli and Jones (1999), it is a technique which builds up creativity and promotes individuals’ learning By using images, symbols, and colors to display and connect all related topics, a mind map can not only trigger students’ creativity but also provide them with a more attractive format that enjoys their eyes or brain Zampetakis, Tsironis and Moustakis (2007) assert mind maps “allow creativity development to be introduced into the curriculum in a way that made best use of the time available”(p 376)

Thirdly, when the key information of the reading text is drawn on mind maps,

it becomes easier for students to understand and remember because mind maps typically use color and images (Murley, 2007) Anglin, Hossein and Cunningham (2004) conducted their research to assert that our ability to remember images is far better than our memory for words In addition, Johnson (1992) states color improves comprehension by 73% Therefore, students can save time and increase their productivity of the reading text thanks to mind maps Toi (2009) reveals that the

students’ memory of vocabulary of a reading passage increases in the Mind Map group with improvements in memory of up to 32%

Finally, students can link their prior knowledge and new information in the reading text, which helps them transfer what they learn and apply it to new situations (Fiktorius, 2013) Al-Jarf (2009) proves mind-mapping technique is a great application for enhancing students’ ability to “generate, visualize and organize ideas”(p 3) The use of mind mapping enables visual learners to connect and integrate what they knew and what they are going to learn Moreover, Maureen (2002) adds mind mapping could improve students’ confidence, develop a ‘can-do’ culture in class and motivate students and teachers

From the illustrated advantages above, it can be concluded that mind mapping

is a helpful tool for improving students’ reading comprehension ability

2.4 Stages to use mind mapping in teaching reading comprehension

2.4.1 Pre-reading stage

Chastain (1988) states that pre-reading stage is the process of skimming the reading texts before carefully reading them so as to motivate students to have the interest to read and to prepare them for reading it Ringler and Weber (1984) consider pre-reading as activities because they provide students with prior knowledge and necessary background, and focus their attention on comprehending the text Therefore, teachers tend to equip their students with knowledge of vocabulary and grammar to help them be ready to read the text In such an approach, the main pre-reading activities might be word lists to explain the meaning of the new words or some

syntactic explanation to clarify the essential structures in the text However, more recently attention on pre-reading activities has changed to cultural or conceptual difficulties This means pre-reading activities may also advise students what they know and think in order to activate their existing schematic knowledge The purpose

of helping students to link their background knowledge with concepts in the text is to set up appropriate expectations about the language and content of the passage (Ajideh,2003)

To meet the pre-reading purpose, one very popular kind of pre-reading task is brain storming (Wallace, 1992) Brainstorming is the form of providing students with

a particular key word, a concept or a topic Then, the students are expected to personally give the words, concepts or ideas to bring their own prior knowledge and opinions which associate with that provided issue (Alhaisoni, 2012) This kind of activity seems to resemble what has been known about mind mapping Al-Jarf (2009) did a research study to prove that the great tool of brainstorming and planning a paragraph is mind mapping A mind map can be drawn to gather all the ideas about the provided concept and organize them into a pattern which presents the connection between the ideas It becomes easier for students to see the whole picture of a topic as well as the details that build this picture

Steele (2016) suggests a pre-reading activity using mind mapping to brainstorm the ideas about “reasons of smoking”

Figure 2.4.1: Model of mind mapping using in pre-reading stage (Steele, 2016)

Firstly, it is necessary to clearly write the key words “reasons of smoking” in the center of the board Then, students are encouraged to silently think about it and note down for two minutes Next, they compare and discuss their ideas in groups The language problems can be ignored; this means L1 might be used if the students cannot manage with their L2 In the next stage, they organize a mind map by making connections or subgroups, adding branches and other points that stem from the central topic Finally, it is important for the teacher to orally gather the students’ ideas so as to make up a model mind map about “reasons of smoking” on the board This can help them keep track of the big picture of key topic and activate their prior knowledge before reading the text

In short, it can be concluded that mind mapping is an appropriate activity to use

in the pre-reading stage in order to activate students’ background knowledge and engaging them into the reading text

2.4.2 While-reading stage

While-reading stage involves in the activities making sense of the text and connections.“The aim of while-reading stage is to develop students’ ability in tackling texts by developing their linguistic and schematic knowledge” (Alyousef, 2006, p.69) Abbott (1985, pp.96-101) indicates five activities that should be used in while-reading stage The first one is identifying the main idea with skimming as the main technique because the purpose of this activity is to avoid the slow reading for the details Thus, the students are required to identify the topic sentence or key word in each paragraph

to quickly understand the text The second activity is finding details in the text using a scanning technique The useful exercise for this type is usually information gap This means that students must fill in the missing information on the worksheet by carefully reading through the text The third one is following a sequence This activity expects students to realize that what they are reading is in sequence which they can understand even they encounter unknown words The fourth activity is inferring from the text because students need to clarify what is implied in the reading text by trying to understand the text using their schemata and experience instead of reading for literal meaning This can be considered as the higher level of comprehension The last one is recognizing the writer’s purpose and attitude This can be difficult to understand the writer’s intention behind the words; hence, it is suitable for the advanced learners

Mind mapping can be used as a helpful tool to achieve some of the activities mentioned above Using key words only in mind mapping provides students with the benefits of identifying and understanding the structure of a subject when reading a text (Bekti, 2009) In addition, mind mapping encourages students to use prior knowledge

to make connections between the reading and what they have experienced, what they have read, or what they know about the world This offers the advantage in inferring from the text (Siriphanich, 2010) Ramchand (2016) claims that mind mapping can be adapted as fill-in-the-blank activity in order to ask students to find details in the text using a scanning technique when exploring a reading topic She suggests a while-reading activity with fill-in-the-blank mind map including three basic steps: 1) create a mind map then remove about one third of the concept labels; 2) provide students with small set of concept labels (about five to ten); 3) invite students to construct a mind map using these labels based on their understanding of topic

2.4.3 Post-reading stage

Post-reading activities are the strategies which provide students a way to summarize, reflect, and question what they have just read The main purpose of post-reading is checking students’ accurate comprehension of the reading text Among the techniques used to deal with post-reading, summarizing was considered as one of the most effective one because it can produce a text from one or more texts which consist

of the significant information of the original texts and it is much shorter than the original ones (Hovy, 2003) Marzano, Pickering and Pollock (2001) state that summarizing is the top nine most effective teaching strategies in the history of education and it is a great technique to improve reading comprehension because it can

help the students remember the organization of the reading texts after reading (Smolkin& Donovan, 2002)

There are a number of techniques used to summarize a reading text including note-taking, outlining, paraphrasing, and repetitive reading, in which mind mapping is admitted to be one of the most successful techniques because that mind maps are more visual and effective in showing the associations between key words makes the learners easier to recall reading texts than linear notes (Russell, 2011) Mind mapping contains

a lot of advantages in post-reading activities, especially summarizing text Firstly, mind mapping can help students improve their memory when summarizing the reading texts (Fulford&Buzan, 2009, p 20) These authors conclude that “a well-made mind map is almost impossible to forget” because the ingredients of mind mapping including colors, images and key words can effectively engage the brain Secondly, saving space is another advantage of using mind mapping in summarizing texts Fulford and Buzan (2009) assert that mind mapping allows students to present a lot of information in a relatively small space Students can store all their notes about the text

on a paper and arrange them in an easy way to see the relationships between them As

a result, a whole picture of the reading text is drawn on a paper so that students can keep their eyes and represent understanding in it in post-reading stage (Siriphanich,

2010, p 5)

In a nutshell, using mind mapping for the post-reading stage can give students chances to recall the knowledge from the text as well as summarize the text in the visual way Obviously, mind mapping is an appropriate technique for post-reading

2.5 Mind-map features and how to make a mind map

2.5.1 Mind-map features

It is obvious that grasping the features of a mind map enables users to create an effective and useful mind map Thus, Buzan (1993) concludes that there are five essential features a mind map which need to fulfill as follows: 1) the main idea, subject or focus is crystallized in a central image; 2) The main theme radiates from the central image as ‘branches’; 3) The branches comprise a key images or key word drawn or printed on its associated line; 4) Topic of less importance is represented as

‘twigs’ of the relevant branches; and 5) The branches from a connected nodal structure

However, after summarizing the features of a mind map from many studies, Fiktorius (2013) finds out that there are four main features of a mind-map Firstly,

“each mind-map has a central node that serves as a starting location containing the main theme or idea” (p 3) It is better to present the central node by an image or

a picture relating the main topic because the image or picture can be easily received

by our brain more than words or letters Secondly, “the ideas of the mind-map

‘radiate’ from the central node as branches with sub nodes connected to each other in parent-child relationships” (p 3) Depending on the purposes and the emphasis of the ideas on the branches, it might be different to draw the branches in terms of colors, sizes, curves, etc Thirdly, “the final structure of the mind-map becomes a hierarchy of linked nodes” (p 3) The clearer are the branches drawn in the map, the more easily is the association between the ideas recognized Our awareness tends to figure out the connection between the input things; therefore, there will be a picture

which is created in the mind to illustrate that structure Finally, “each connector or branch has keywords or colorful images associated with them” (p 4) It is suggested that it must always use images in the map In addition, the colors used to connect the ideas in the map play an important role in capturing the association Normally, one color is used for each category in the map and key words are for each branch

Although the number of features of mind map differs from Buzan to Fiktorius, the nature of mind map looks similar with the central ideas in the main position, the primary themes known as branches connecting the central ideas, and these branches linking together to make an organized structure

2.5.2 How to make a mind map

Mind maps are hierarchically structured Ellozy and Mustafa (2010) state that

“ the mind maps are usually highly visual including pictures and colors as well as other visual prompts ” (p 634) The information of a written text can be mapped out into pictures so that readers might understand the text in a more interesting way Hence, to make an effective mind map, it is important to follow the sequences in creating a graphic Many experts produce the logical procedures step by step to help students make a mind map easily, quickly and successfully

Rose and Nicholl (1998) recommend eight steps to make a mind map as follows: 1) Start with the topic in the middle of paper; 2) Use keywords; 3) Make the branch from the main topic; 4) Use symbols, colors, words, or pictures mainly in the mind mapping; 5) Make it as interesting as possible; 6) Make it full of colors; 7) Repeat two or three times to make it perfect; 8) Do it by yourself

However, Potter and Hernacki (1999) point out nine steps to create a mind map This procedure can be described as follows: 1) Make a circle of main idea in the middle of paper; 2) Make branch from the main idea to make key points Do not forget to use a color pen to make it; 3) Write the keywords or phrases in every branch and then develop them with details; 4) Give additional symbols and illustrations; 5)

Do not forget to use capital letters; 6) Write down the main ideas with the bigger letter; 7) be creative and express it freely; 8) Use the unique form to show the points

or ideas; and 9) Do not forget to make it horizontally to make a wider space

In 2010, the father of mind map – Buzan – produced the following seven laws to create a great mind map which are: 1) Start in the center of landscape page; 2) Use an image or picture for the central idea; 3) Use color throughout; 4) Connect mind branches to the central image; 5) Make braches curve and flow; 6) Use just one key word per-line and notice how the words are the same length as the lines; and7) Use image throughout because the images make the mind map more interesting and therefore memorable

Although these experts state different steps of making mind map, they share a same focus of the sequence of building a graphic This is to say making a mind map is creating a picture containing the information taken out from a written text in order to help readers easily understand it in a more interesting way

2.6 Prior studies on the related topic

This section tries to review some previous studies which closely relate to this study in order to figure out the results of using mind mapping in enhancing reading

comprehension The first two reviewed studies take the background in other countries while the last two studies have the same context in Vietnam

The first previous study is the study by Siriphanich about the improvement of reading comprehension by using mind maps in 2010 This study was conducted with one group pre-and-post-test experimental research design at Songkhla Rajabhat University, Thailand The instruments to collect data are tests, interview and questionnaire The study found that mind maps have a positive effect on improving the students’ reading comprehension In addition, most of the students are satisfied with their improvement and they also enjoyed their reading activities

The second related study is “The effectiveness of using mind mapping in improving students’ reading comprehension of narrative text” by Indrayani (2014) This study was conducted with two group pre-and-post-test experimental research design including a control and an experimental group at SMA Mathla’ul Huda Parung Panjang, Bogor, Indonesia The data collection is only through the test The result of the study shows that the mind mapping technique is effective to use in teaching reading comprehension of narrative text

The third study is “Using mind mapping techniques to develop Ly Thuong Kiet high school 11th grade students’ reading text summary skills” by Nguyen (2012) This study was a quasi-experimental research study and it was conducted in two intact 11th grade classes at Ly Thuong Kiet high school in Hai Phong To collect the data, this study used the pretest and posttest for measuring both groups’ reading text summary competence before and after the treatment and the post program questionnaire for

using mind mapping in the post reading stage improves students’ reading text summary skills

The last but most related study is “Using mind maps to enhance reading comprehension of the third-year English majors at Thu Dau Mot University” by Nguyen (2011) This study was conducted with one group pre-and-post-test experimental research design at Thu Dau Mot University, Vietnam The writer employed the observation, questionnaire, and test to gather the data The findings of this study show that the students’ reading comprehension improve remarkably and most students highly appreciate the use of mind maps in learning activities

Although the studies above have the same technique – mind maps – to enhance reading comprehension with this study, there are differences about the research instruments, the place, the sampling technique, and the research design They all have clearly proven the effectiveness of using mind mapping in reading comprehension That is the reason why the researcher herself will like to work in this cavity to apply a new teaching technique for the improvement of first-year students’ reading comprehension ability at HCMCUT

2.7 Chapter summary

So far, Chapter 2 has presented the conceptual framework of mind mapping with all its related aspects It starts with mind mapping overview, then details the three types of a mind map It continues with the advantages of using mind mapping in reading comprehension lessons and recommends the reading stages to use mind mapping in teaching reading comprehension right afterwards Next, a provision of its