Effect of graphic organizers on ninth-grade students' achievement in social studies

This study investigated the effect of using graphic organizers on ninth grade students' achievement in social studies. Participants were 427 ninth grade students; 316 were regularly tracked with Stanford Achievement Subtest Reading Comprehension percentiles of 35% to 85%. One hundred and eleven students were honors and gifted tracked with Stanford Achievement Subtest Reading Comprehension percentiles of 86% to 90% for honors tracked students and 91% to 99% for gifted tracked students. The regular tracked students formed the sample for experiment one which used a 2 x 6 ANOVA to determine relationships between six graphic organizers and/or elaborations and their effect upon student achievement in social studies, grade nine. The honors and gifted tracked students formed the sample for experiment 2 which used a 2 x 2 x 2 ANOVA to determine relationships between two graphic organizers and/or elaborations and their effect upon student achievement in social studies, grade nine. For both experiments a mixed design was used, with strategy as a between-subjects factor and time as a within subjects factor. In addition, academic track (gifted or honors) was a between-subjets factor in experiment 2. Posttest 1 was an immediate recall test. Posttest 2 was a delayed recall test, which was given three weeks after posttest 1. The results indicated that the graphic organizers and/or elaborations SQ3R (experiment 1) and the Structured Conceptual Knowledge Development, with graphic organizers strategy and elaborations (experiment 1 and experiment 2) were the two most effective learning activities used by students (p $<$.0005). The best strategy for retention of information in the social studies ninth grade content area was the Structured Conceptual Knowledge Development, with graphic organizers strategy and elaborations. It was concluded that specific graphic organizers positively affected achievement of ninth grade social studies students. This study also found that the Conventional Method of Teaching: introducing vocabulary, reading chapter questions, reading the chapter and answering the questions in word or sentence form was the least effective way of improving the achievement of ninth grade social studies students.