Effectiveness of Concept Mapping in Enhancing Knowledge Regarding Dengue Among Health Profession Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

In health profession education, effective instruction is essential, particularly when discussing significant health issues like dengue. Deep knowledge is frequently not fostered by conventional instructional techniques like lectures. Concept mapping, on the other hand, is an active learning technique that fosters critical thinking by assisting students in organizing and integrating their information. In comparison to conventional lecture techniques, the purpose of this study is to assess how well idea mapping enhances nursing students' understanding of dengue. Sixty nursing students from two institutions—Uttar Pradesh's University of Medical Sciences Nursing College (30 students) and J.K. College of General Nursing (30 students)—were chosen by simple random sampling in a quasi-experimental (Pretest-Posttest) design. Concept mapping was used to teach the experimental group (UPUMS), whereas conventional lectures were given to the control group (J.K. College). A self-structured knowledge questionnaire that was given both before and after the intervention was used to gauge participants' knowledge of dengue. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The experimental group's mean pretest knowledge score (concept mapping) was 18.86 (SD=3.43), while the lecture method control groups were 17.03 (SD=4.39). Following the intervention, the experimental group's mean post-test score increased dramatically to 27.46, whereas the control group's score increased somewhat to 20.45. The experimental group exhibited a highly significant difference in knowledge improvement (t=5.60, p<0.001), while the control group showed no significant difference (t=2.57, p=0.05), according to a 't' test. When compared to conventional lecture techniques, concept mapping greatly increased nursing students' understanding of dengue. According to the findings, idea mapping is a more successful teaching method that improves comprehension and retention. To improve students' educational experiences, nursing educators should think about introducing concept mapping into their courses.