Visual Knowledge Representations and the Quality of Teaching Natural and Life Sciences: A Field Study from the Perspective of Middle School Teachers

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the role of visual knowledge representations in improving the quality of teaching natural and life sciences from the perspective of middle school teachers. Specifically, it examined the extent to which visual representations, particularly concept maps and explanatory diagrams, contribute to the organisation of scientific content, facilitating its comprehension and summarisation in a manner that positively impacts the quality of the teaching process. The study adopted a descriptive-analytical approach. A 26-item questionnaire, divided into two dimensions, was administered to a sample of 52 male and female teachers of natural and life sciences. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), with frequencies, percentages, arithmetic means, standard deviations and Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient being relied upon.

The findings revealed a high level of agreement among participants on the positive impact of visual knowledge representations on the quality of subject teaching. These representations were found to clarify and organise scientific concepts, and highlight the relationships between them. They also supported the systematic summarisation of instructional content, helped learners to connect new knowledge with prior knowledge, developed analysis and recall skills, and improved academic achievement, particularly among low-achieving learners. The findings further supported both sub-hypotheses, thereby corroborating the general hypothesis that visual knowledge representations improve the quality of Natural and Life Sciences teaching at middle school level.