MIND MAP–BASED VISUALIZATION OF PHYSICS CONCEPTS FOR DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ IMAGINATION AND CREATIVE THINKING
Abstract
Teaching most topics in natural sciences, particularly physics, requires reliance on students’ imagination, as many physical processes cannot be perceived directly and can only be studied through their outcomes or with the aid of instruments and models. Human cognition addresses this limitation through thinking and analytical abilities, which are inseparable from imagination. Throughout history, imagination and creative thinking have enabled humanity to explore phenomena ranging from distant outer space to subatomic structures.
In order to prepare students to become qualified specialists in the future, it is essential to foster imagination and creative thinking skills already at the level of general education schools. This article argues that Mind Maps, as an effective tool for visualizing verbal information, provide favorable conditions for developing these cognitive abilities. The study presents methodological approaches to teaching the fundamental physics concept of energy and the law of conservation of energy through mind map–based visualization.
The findings demonstrate that mind maps support students’ indirect understanding of physical processes by integrating visualization, imagination, and analytical reasoning. As a result, students develop deeper conceptual understanding, enhanced imagination, and improved creative thinking skills, which are essential for learning physics and addressing complex problems in modern education.
Keywords
physics education; mind map; imagination; creative thinking; visualization; indirect knowledge; idealization; modeling; energy; law of conservation of energy;
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