Role of Teacher-Constructed vs. Cooperative Concept Map Learning Strategies in EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension and Autonomy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of 2 concept map (CM) learning strategies on Iranian EFL learners' reading comprehension ability and learner autonomy. To this end, 60 Iranian EFL learners at the preintermediate level of language proficiency were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Both groups received an 8-week instruction: one through teacher-constructed and the other through cooperative concept map strategies. Participants also filled out a 38-item autonomy questionnaire and took a 40-item test of reading comprehension ability before and after the treatments. Results revealed that the cooperative group outperformed the other one on the test of reading comprehension. However, the analysis of the participants' perceptions of autonomy did not show any significant difference across the 2 groups. Findings suggest that CM learning strategies may make strategic learners who are meaning makers and learn how to learn, especially when they are working collaboratively.