The Effect of the SQ3R Strategy on Developing Concepts among Students of the Institute of Fine Arts in the Subject of Teaching

Abstract

 This study aims to analyze the effect of the SQ3R strategy on students’ cognitive learning and to develop concepts among students of the Institute of Fine Arts in the subject of Teaching Methods. The research adopted an experimental design consisting of two groups: a control group and an experimental group, with carefully organized pre-tests and post-tests. The sample consisted of sixty-six third-grade students from the Institute of Fine Arts in the holy city of Karbala. The students were distributed into two equivalent groups in terms of age, intelligence, and parents’ educational attainment. The researcher taught the two groups for eight weeks using two different and controlled teaching methods. The SQ3R strategy was applied to the experimental group, while the traditional method was used with the control group in the daily teaching process. A conceptual test consisting of thirty-five multiple-choice questions was prepared and scientifically validated. The test items were distributed according to Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy, ranging from remembering to final evaluation. The data were analyzed using the t-test, Chi-square test, and statistical coefficients of validity and reliability. Equivalence between the two groups was verified in terms of age, intelligence, and parents’ scientific and cultural educational levels. The results showed the superiority of the experimental group in developing educational concepts with statistical significance. The findings confirmed the effectiveness of the SQ3R strategy in improving higher-order cognitive skills such as understanding, application, and analysis. The study recommended adopting this strategy in subjects rich in theoretical concepts, organizing content using concept maps, and training teaching staff in active learning strategies.