Effectiveness of Mind-Mapping in Activating University Students' Prior Knowledge to Enhance Learning and Comprehension

This paper examined the effectiveness of mind-mapping in activating prior knowledge and enhancing comprehension among university students. A quasi-experimental design was employed, dividing participants into an experimental group taught using mind maps and a control group instructed through traditional methods. A pretest-posttest assessment measured the impact, revealing a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group’s performance (mean = 33.89, SD = 2.118) compared to the control group (mean = 14.33, SD = 3.464; t = 25.25, p = 0.045). The effect size (?² = 0.923) confirmed that 92.3% of the variance in performance resulted from the intervention, demonstrating its substantial impact. The findings support integrating mind-mapping into university curricula, training faculty in its application, and developing digital learning tools to enhance engagement. Future research should explore its long-term effects and applications across disciplines. Mind-mapping was found to be a highly effective strategy for improving students' ability to retrieve, organize, and apply knowledge. Received: 3 April 2025 / Accepted: 6 August 2025 / Published: 05 September 2025