AD ALTA
JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
Equality of variance-covariance matrices in boys and girls was
verified through Box’s M-test. Results of this test do not reject
the hypothesis
on equal variance-covariance matrices
(F(15;42796,37)=0,72;p=0,766). Bartlett’s test of sphericity was
used to test the hypothesis on the variables’ unit correlation
matrix. The latter results lead us to reject this hypothesis
(X
2
(10
)=370,06; p<0,001
due to sufficiently strong linear correlations
between the variables.
The correlogram in Figure 1 shows correlations among five
variables. We can see that all the correlations are positive,
statistically important and relatively high
.
Figure 1: Correlogram
The profile analysis results of lead us to reject the hypothesis on
the linearity of profiles F (4;110)=3,19; P=0,019).The hypothesis
on linearity of mean values of variables for boys and girls is,
however, not rejected (F(1;113)=1,89;p=0,172), since the
differences between boys and girls are not statistically
significant. The third hypothesis on the flatness of the profiles
(F(4;111)=396,79;p<0,001) is rejected
.
Table 1: Descriptive statistics of variables in test of concept
mapping by sex.
Sex
Concept maps
Average
SD
Median
Min
Max
Men
(n = 49)
PKP
2.6
1.3
3
0
5
FP
33.1
20.1
27
6
84
PH
5.1
2.8
5
0
10
KH
2.7
1.3
3
0
5
KONZ
4.8
2.6
4
1
10
Women
(n = 66)
PKP
3.0
1.2
3
0
5
FP
36.2
18.2
31
9
87
PH
5.6
2.6
6
0
13
KH
3.5
1.2
4
0
5
KONZ
6.3
2.3
6.5
1
10
(SD – significant deviation), FP (frequency of concepts), PH
(number of hierarchies), KH (quality of hierarchies), KONZ
(consistency)
Figure 2: Profile graph for boys and girls
The above graph in Figure 2 Profile graph for boys and girls
illustrates that the differences between boys and girls in making
concept maps are not statistically significant. However, from the
pedagogical perspective there are several important deviations
that need to be considered carefully.
Development of common concepts is a relatively lengthy process
with an emotional background, occurring under the impact of
individual experience. On the other hand, development of
scientific concepts starts with their verbal definition and
subsequent operations with the given concept, ultimately
resulting in understanding a logical relation among concepts
adopted. The most significant differences we observed related to
the parameter of operationalization of concept frequency (FP)
where it is observable that the girls incorporated more concepts
into the concept map than boys. This item included the absolute
number of concepts in students’ mental representation (related to
the given teaching material – including inter-disciplinary
concepts or those directly related to the curricula but not
mentioned during instruction). This may, in our opinion, be
explicable by the girls’ more robust vocabulary. Any student, in
order to define the material’s main concepts, must penetrate into
the content of the text through profound analytical activity.
He/she should, first of all, understand the links among individual
pieces of information and integrate them from different parts of
the text.
Concept definition does not facilitate sufficient comprehension
of reality. Correct definition of concepts does not necessarily
mean that the student has understood the curriculum material.
All students’ answers must be analysed in more detail – in this
case, subjected to further parameters – such as placing concepts
into hierarchy and their consistency.
There was no significant difference in number of hierarchies
(PH) between the two genders. For structuring concepts into
hierarchies, we assessed the level of links/relations, i.e. the type
of link between lower and upper (mutually related) concepts.
The students may use hierarchy to express links between
individual pieces of information within one topic that is the
subject of a concept map.
Interestingly, boys were able to sort a lower number of concepts
into approximately the same number of hierarchies as girls; the
girls had a much higher number of concepts to structure and
systematize. However, the lower number of concepts listed by
the boys had a negative impact on other operationalization
parameters. When making hierarchies, one must realize
individual concepts and identify links between them. Practically,
he or she must find the concepts, and compare and connect them.
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