Examining the Impact of Concept

Mapping and Multiple Exposures

on Fifth Grade Students' Science
Vocabulary Achievement
Stephanie Woolard
MAEd Reading
East Carolina University
March 31, 2014

Academic Vocabulary

The Common Core Standards, adopted by North

Carolina in 2012, include literacy strands interwoven
into the content areas compelling teachers to increase
their focus on vocabulary instruction

What Works

Extensive practice
with words, breadth
of knowledge about
words including both
definitional and
contextual
knowledge, and active
student engagement.
Direct instruction of
Tier 2 and Tier 3
academic vocabulary

What Doesnt
Unfortunately,
vocabulary
instruction in many
content area
classrooms still
consists of outdated
methods such as
copying definitions
from the glossary and
writing them in a
sentence.

Purpose
The purpose of this research project was to
investigate the impact of concept definition
mapping and multiple exposures on fifth grade
students science vocabulary achievement
compared to traditional vocabulary instruction.

Methodology
Independent Variable: Vocabulary Instruction
Dependent
Variable

Treatment Group: Semantic

Mapping, Multiple Exposures

Comparison Group: Traditional

Definition-Based Instruction

Vocabulary
Achievement

-Vocabulary Pre/Posttest
-Knowledge Rating Survey
-Researcher Log

-Vocabulary Pre/Posttest

Concept of
Definition Map
The intervention
consisted of a concept
definition map based
on techniques that
teachers use to clarify
word meanings for
students: synonyms,
brief descriptions,
examples and nonexamples, context,
associations, and
unique expression.

AORTA
U

Intervention Implementation Timeline

Date

Intervention

January
13 - 17

Pretest of unit vocabulary, Introduction to semantic map and

jigsaw strategy.

January
22-24

Week 1 Vocabulary Terms: Infection, Nutrients, Sternum,

Stethoscope, Pulmonary, Cardiac, Heart Rate, Aorta

January
27-31

Week 2 Vocabulary Terms: Abdomen, Cells, Cranium,

Lumbar, Membrane, Organs, Spinal Cord, Thoracic

Instruction

Circulatory System

February Week 3 Vocabulary Terms: Flexible, Fuse, Allergic, Dander,

3-7
Energy, Exhaust, Flu, Germs
February Week 4 Vocabulary Terms: Pneumonia, Bronchitis, Lobes,
10-14
Bronchial, Bolus, Chyme, Dissolve, Gastric
February Week 5 Vocabulary Terms: Saliva, Stool, Urine, Villi,
18-21
Peristalsis, Alimentary Canal, Fiber, Digest
March
3

Posttest of unit vocabulary

Digestive System

Multiple Exposures
Word Sorts

Concentration
Aorta

Infection

The largest blood vessel in

the human body.

The attack on healthy

parts of your body by
germs.

Pneumonia

Chyme

Gastric

Bronchitis

Saliva

Stomach

Emphysema

Bolus

Digest

Vocabulary Mean Gain Scores

Pre/Posttest

Mean Gain

Comparison

7.7
3.6

Two-tailed p

.0021

Treatment

7
6
5

20 Item Subset
Mean Gain
Treatment
5.6

Comparison

2.6

Two-tailed p

.0001

Notes: Treatment N=21;

Comparison N-20

Treatment
Comparison

Pre/Posttest

Subset

Knowledge Rating Survey

Vocabulary Knowledge Rating

Mean

160
140
120
100
80
60
40

Pre
Post

Pre-Survey

97.7

Post-Survey

138.8

Two-tailed p

< .0001

Researcher Log
Theme 1: Students benefitted from purposeful
talk in collaborative groups.
Theme 2: Students demonstrated inquiry and
engagement with high order questions.

Purposeful Talk in Groups

Holly: My mom likes to eat those fiber bars, I
wonder if that is the same thing as our vocabulary
word.
Jane: The definition says it is a substance found
in food, so it could be the same thing.
Holly: And the book says that it is a good-foryou nutrient. That makes sense because my mom
is always trying to eat healthy.

High Order Thinking

Bronchitis

Non-Examples

Pneumonia
Flu

Brock explained the

reasoning of his
group, Pneumonia
and flu are in the
same category as
bronchitis because
they are all illnesses,
but they are different
types.

Discussion

VS

The results are clear,

active engagement with
words through concept
mapping and multiple
exposures is more
effective for promoting
knowledge and
retention of content
vocabulary than
traditional definitionbased instruction.

Discussion

Questions or Comments?
Stephanie Woolard
ECU MAEd Reading
woolards98@students.ecu.edu