The use of mind mapping as a pre-writing activity in writing factual essays: a case study

Thinking skills are greatly emphasized in the Malaysian education system. Both critical and creative thinking skills are clearly outlined in the curriculum document prepared by the Ministry of Education. These skills are incorporated in the learning outcomes to enable learners to solve problems, make important decisions, and express themselves creatively. Some of these thinking skills are well practiced during pre-writing sessions. A number of pre-writing techniques are developed to enhance the thinking skills in order to facilitate writing skills. One of the pre-writing techniques often used in teaching writing skills is mind maps. How effective is mind mapping in helping students to write good essays? This study is designed to answer the question. Therefore, this study investigates the use of mind mapping as a pre-writing technique in writing factual essays. A total of 60 Form Four students from a school in Putrajaya were selected and divided into an experimental group and a control group. The two groups were given a pre-test and a post-test on the same topic. Their essays were marked and analyzed based on the content and organization of ideas. The score for the content followed the guidelines of the marking scheme specially designed for this study. The outcome of this study indicated that mind mapping is an excellent pre-writing activity and a very useful tool to help students elicit ideas and related information in order to write good factual essays