Effectiveness of a Suggested Program Based Electronic Thinking Maps on Developing Grammatical Concepts, Grammatical skills and Grammatical Self-Efficacy for Foreign Arabic Language Learners

Abstract: The present research aimed at preparing a suggested programme based on electronic thinking maps to develop grammatical concepts, grammatical skills and grammatical self-efficacy for foreign Arabic language learners. In this regard, an electronic thinking maps strategy was developed to combine between advantages of both the thinking map strategy presented by David Hyerle and technology integration in teaching. Both qualitative and quasi-experimental research methodologies were employed. The research sample consisted of 150 foreign learners of third grade at Institute of Arabic Language Learning to Foreigners at Islamic University in Almadina: 118 as a piloting sample and 32 as an experimental group that was exposed to the research intervention. Research came out with a list of grammatical concepts that included 4 major concepts, from which 42 minor concepts branched along with a list of grammatical skills that included 6 major skills from which 81 sub-skills were developed, and a list of grammatical self-efficacy dimensions that included 4 major dimensions of which 30 items/statements emerged. In addition, an integrative programme based on electronic thinking maps was prepared; it included 9 lessons. Following teaching, statistically significant differences in learners’ scores at the 0.01 level were found between both pre and post-administrations of both the grammatical concepts & form definition tests in favour of the post-administration. Also, statistically significant differences in learners’ scores at the 0.05 level were found between both pre and post-administrations of both the self-efficacy test in favour of the post-administration. Based on these results, some recommendations and suggestions for further research were made. Keywords: electronic thinking maps; grammatical concepts; grammatical skills; grammatical self-efficacy; foreig