The Value of Concept Maps in Theory-Practice Integration

Concept mapping enables the educator, preceptor and student to make ‘connections’ between concepts, theory and practice and different experiences. It stimulates creative thinking through freely associated connections between concepts, thus stimulating independent learning.

Although concept mapping proved to be an effective learning and teaching tool, supervisors of postgraduate students need to reflect on what is portrayed in the concept maps in order to assess whether evidence of theory and practice integration are represented in the concept maps. Thus the cyclic process should provide evidence of this.

To prevent that concept mapping is just another tool in research supervisory practices, the supervisor needs to reflect on the content and implications of the concept maps provided. In order to improve and contribute to evidence-based supervisory practice narrative reflections on the concept maps and the meaning thereof is an important aspect in this cyclic teaching process.