Abstract
The research sample consisted of 30 students, aged 10 years, selected using the stratified random sampling method from the fifth grade of Al-Awael Mixed Primary School and Asia Mixed Primary School, which were randomly selected in the Ninawa Directorate of Education. The sample children were divided into two equal groups: an experimental group of 15 students, including 15 boys, and a control group of 15 students, also including 15 boys. The researcher matched individuals in the experimental and control groups in terms of pre-test scores, life skills, age, father's education level, mother's education level, intelligence quotient, and average grade in science. The researcher prepared a life skills test and a science test for the fifth grade in its initial form, consisting of 35 items. After review by experts, 8 items were removed, resulting in a final test of 28 items, with the researcher assigning a score of 1 for correct answers and 0 for incorrect answers. Appropriate statistical methods were used to analyze the data, leading to final results that showed a statistically significant difference in pre- and post-test life skills scores among students in the experimental group in favor of the post-test application, with no statistically significant difference among students in the control group in the post-test positive thinking assessment. The effect size of the "Mind Mapping" strategy was found to be large according to Cohen's classification. The researcher provided several recommendations, including: 1. The attention of the training and preparation unit in the Ninawa Directorate of Education should focus on training teachers of all subjects, especially science teachers, in the "Mind Mapping" strategy. 2. Inclusion of the "Mind Mapping" strategy in the curriculum of the Teaching Methods and Educational Sciences courses in colleges of education. 3. Focus on educational programs that emphasize psychological concepts, personal abilities, and skills, as they are important in the lives and personalities of students.
Proposed Future Studies:
In addition to the current research, the researcher proposes the following future studies:
The impact of the "Mind Mapping" strategy on developing contemplative thinking and innovative behavior in fifth-grade students.
The impact of the "Mind Mapping" strategy on developing comprehension skills and some social skills in fifth-grade students.
