The purpose of this study was to determine if the usage of Thinking Maps® influenced the achievement scores of middle grades students in science on the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) over a period of two years. Science test scores for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years were analyzed by grade level and usage in SPSS and SAS, and after transformations were completed, non-parametric ANOVAs were conducted based on non-normal distributions. Science teachers were surveyed regarding their perceptions and usage of Thinking Maps®. The scores and surveys were then analyzed for simultaneous effects.
The results of the study for the 2012-2013 data indicated grade level was significant and did influence a variation in scores, with seventh grade having a greater frequency of scores above 850. Usage of Thinking Maps® was not significant and did not influence a variation in scores. Friedman’s non-parametric ANOVA showed 9.11% of the variance in scores was influenced by grade level and usage. The 2013-2014 data indicated grade level was significant and did influence a variation in scores, with seventh grade having a greater frequency of scores above 825. Usage of Thinking Maps® was significant and did influence a variation in scores. Friedman’s non-parametric ANOVA revealed 23.2% of the variance in scores was influenced by grade level and usage. An interaction effect for either year could not be determined because of non-normal distributions and sample origination differences. Therefore, a comparison of means for grade level and usage was conducted. Teachers who used Thinking Maps® had higher mean scores than those who did not. Based on the findings, it may be concluded there appears to be a relationship between the perceptions of teachers and consistent usage of Thinking Maps® in middle grades science and the increase in achievement score means of the students who used them regularly and with fidelity.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this study was to determine if the usage of Thinking Maps® influenced the achievement scores of middle grades students in science on the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) over a period of two years. Science test scores for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years were analyzed by grade level and usage in SPSS and SAS, and after transformations were completed, non-parametric ANOVAs were conducted based on non-normal distributions. Science teachers were surveyed regarding their perceptions and usage of Thinking Maps®. The scores and surveys were then analyzed for simultaneous effects.</p> <p>The results of the study for the 2012-2013 data indicated grade level was significant and did influence a variation in scores, with seventh grade having a greater frequency of scores above 850. Usage of Thinking Maps® was not significant and did not influence a variation in scores. Friedman’s non-parametric ANOVA showed 9.11% of the variance in scores was influenced by grade level and usage. The 2013-2014 data indicated grade level was significant and did influence a variation in scores, with seventh grade having a greater frequency of scores above 825. Usage of Thinking Maps® was significant and did influence a variation in scores. Friedman’s non-parametric ANOVA revealed 23.2% of the variance in scores was influenced by grade level and usage. An interaction effect for either year could not be determined because of non-normal distributions and sample origination differences. Therefore, a comparison of means for grade level and usage was conducted. Teachers who used Thinking Maps® had higher mean scores than those who did not. Based on the findings, it may be concluded there appears to be a relationship between the perceptions of teachers and consistent usage of Thinking Maps® in middle grades science and the increase in achievement score means of the students who used them regularly and with fidelity.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hughes Akin, Lynn B"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Counseling, Foundations & Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Deirdre Greer","Dr. Sonny Waller","Dr. Joseph Jones"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-07-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-07-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:45:29Z","subjects":["Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT)","Grade Level","Thinking Maps","Middle Grades","Science","Curriculum and Instruction","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research","Educational Leadership","Science and Mathematics Education","Secondary Education"],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/255","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Deirdre Greer","Dr. Sonny Waller","Dr. Joseph Jones"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hughes Akin, Lynn B"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-11-06T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Counseling, Foundations & Leadership"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT)","Grade Level","Thinking Maps","Middle Grades","Science","Curriculum and Instruction","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research","Educational Leadership","Science and Mathematics Education","Secondary Education"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/255"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this study was to determine if the usage of Thinking Maps® influenced the achievement scores of middle grades students in science on the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) over a period of two years. Science test scores for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years were analyzed by grade level and usage in SPSS and SAS, and after transformations were completed, non-parametric ANOVAs were conducted based on non-normal distributions. Science teachers were surveyed regarding their perceptions and usage of Thinking Maps®. The scores and surveys were then analyzed for simultaneous effects.
The results of the study for the 2012-2013 data indicated grade level was significant and did influence a variation in scores, with seventh grade having a greater frequency of scores above 850. Usage of Thinking Maps® was not significant and did not influence a variation in scores. Friedman’s non-parametric ANOVA showed 9.11% of the variance in scores was influenced by grade level and usage. The 2013-2014 data indicated grade level was significant and did influence a variation in scores, with seventh grade having a greater frequency of scores above 825. Usage of Thinking Maps® was significant and did influence a variation in scores. Friedman’s non-parametric ANOVA revealed 23.2% of the variance in scores was influenced by grade level and usage. An interaction effect for either year could not be determined because of non-normal distributions and sample origination differences. Therefore, a comparison of means for grade level and usage was conducted. Teachers who used Thinking Maps® had higher mean scores than those who did not. Based on the findings, it may be concluded there appears to be a relationship between the perceptions of teachers and consistent usage of Thinking Maps® in middle grades science and the increase in achievement score means of the students who used them regularly and with fidelity.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Study of the Effects of Thinking Maps on the Achievement of Students in Middle Grades Science"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Deirdre Greer","Dr. Sonny Waller","Dr. Joseph Jones"],"dc:creator":["Hughes Akin, Lynn B"],"dc:date.available":["2017-11-06T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this study was to determine if the usage of Thinking Maps® influenced the achievement scores of middle grades students in science on the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) over a period of two years. Science test scores for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years were analyzed by grade level and usage in SPSS and SAS, and after transformations were completed, non-parametric ANOVAs were conducted based on non-normal distributions. Science teachers were surveyed regarding their perceptions and usage of Thinking Maps®. The scores and surveys were then analyzed for simultaneous effects.
The results of the study for the 2012-2013 data indicated grade level was significant and did influence a variation in scores, with seventh grade having a greater frequency of scores above 850. Usage of Thinking Maps® was not significant and did not influence a variation in scores. Friedman’s non-parametric ANOVA showed 9.11% of the variance in scores was influenced by grade level and usage. The 2013-2014 data indicated grade level was significant and did influence a variation in scores, with seventh grade having a greater frequency of scores above 825. Usage of Thinking Maps® was significant and did influence a variation in scores. Friedman’s non-parametric ANOVA revealed 23.2% of the variance in scores was influenced by grade level and usage. An interaction effect for either year could not be determined because of non-normal distributions and sample origination differences. Therefore, a comparison of means for grade level and usage was conducted. Teachers who used Thinking Maps® had higher mean scores than those who did not. Based on the findings, it may be concluded there appears to be a relationship between the perceptions of teachers and consistent usage of Thinking Maps® in middle grades science and the increase in achievement score means of the students who used them regularly and with fidelity.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/255"],"dc:language":["English"],"dc:subject":["Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT)","Grade Level","Thinking Maps","Middle Grades","Science","Curriculum and Instruction","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research","Educational Leadership","Science and Mathematics Education","Secondary Education"],"dc:title":["A Study of the Effects of Thinking Maps on the Achievement of Students in Middle Grades Science"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Counseling, Foundations & Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:45:29Z"}