Concept Semantic Mapping

Semantic mapping is “a strategy for graphically represnting concept” ( H. Ester, 1999: 1); “a graphic arrangement showing the major ideas and relationships in text or among word meaning” (Sinatra, Stahl-Gemake,and Berg, 1984:22), “ a categorical structuring of information in graphic form” (jhonson, Pittelman, and Heimlich, 1986:779) or “graphic representation of categories of information and their relationship to each other”

Semantic mapping is strategy for organizing information: it helps to give structure or order. It helps people to see the relationship among concept and it shows the various ways that information can be organized and categorized in more general or more specific categories (Rubin, 1993:29)

Ausible (1977), citied in Conley (1992:132), states that semantic mapping just like structure overviews are part of family of techniques termed “Organizer” The purpose of organizer is to help students use prior knowledge to gain new knowledge. Organizers are visual display or “scaffolds” for concept students of learning.
The process creating a web (Map) is a strategy that can be used in a variety of ways by teachers and students at all grade levels, both theory and research evidence support the notion that generating, illustrative material enhances comprehension and learning. They mesh to create a story or represent ideas. Thus, semantic map can help readers or listener identify the underlying organization structure and meaning of a text (Broomley, 1992:219)