MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
HA NOI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION
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TRAN HOAI PHUONG

APPLYING MINDMAP THEORY IN GUIDING
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO SEEK AND ESTABLISH
IDEAS FOF A DISCUSSION ESSAY

SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

Ha Noi – 2016


INTRODUCTION
1. THE REASON FOR CHOOSING THE THESIS TITLE
1.1. The meaning of teaching how to write the discursive essay in
general, make an outline in particular in the high schools
Understanding the discursive essay to create the firm supporting ideas
for the learners to express their political opinions, discussion, evaluate the
emerged problem in life, and be able to give the arguments, evidences so
that the listeners believe in their main ideas which helps them to take the
right actions.
If the opinion of main ideas is the soul of the essay, making an outline
of main ideas is the conscious process of thinking to anticipate what to
create that soul. The writer has to outline to make the basic and appropriate
system of main ideas and supporting ideas which helps to clarify the issues
mentioned.
Therefore, teaching how to write the discursive essay in general, to
make an outline for the discursive essay in particular is extremely

as to guide the students to apply the mind map to establishing the ideas for
the discursive essay to affirm the value, advantage of this tool for thinking
development of students, contributing to improve the quality of English
teaching in general , quality of discursive essay teaching in particular.
3. THE RESEARCH TASKS
- Researching, collecting and creating the system of key thinking
contents of mind map theory of Tony Buzan and its applications in teaching.
- Analyzing the appropriation and applying ability of mind map to
teaching how to making an outline for the discursive essay of high school
students.
- Investigating and surveying so as to research the situation of
teaching how to making an outline for the discursive essay in high school
according to the mind map theory.
- Proposing the procedure, teaching form, and building the idea
establishing exercise system through mind map to train the students on
skills of making an outline for the discursive essay.
- Conducting the pedagogical experiments to access the effectiveness
of applying the mind map to guide high school students to making an
outline for the discursive essay proposed in the Thesis title.
4. THE SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
Researching the mind map theory of Tony Buzan, applying this
theory into teaching how to making an outline for the discursive essay in
high schools and teaching procedure to train them in making an outline for
the discursive essay according to applying the mind map theory.
5. THE SCOPE OF RESEARCH
The mind map theory promises to bring the certain effects to teaching
literature, especially teaching how to create many different text modes.
However, in the frame of this dissertation, we determine the limited
research: The discursive essay in high school programs, ensuring to choose
the representative, possible, appropriate Thesis titles for the students,

teaching how to make an outline the discursive essay in high schools,
indicating the positivity and limitations to understand that it is effective and
necessary to apply the mind map theory to teaching in general, how to make
an outline in particular as the method in contributing to overcome the
limitation.
8.4. Proposing the procedure, form of teaching and the outline
exercise system through mind map to guild and train the students in making
an outline for the discursive essay effectively which helps the students to
learn better, at the same time develop their thought.
Thanks to the above contributions, the dissertation can be considered
the practical suggest, a word for new seeking direction in teaching how to
make an outline the discursive essay in high schools.
9. THE STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION
Except for the Introduction, the Conclusion, the Appendix and
References, the main content of the dissertation is divided into 4 chapters:
Chapter 1. The overview of research situation
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Chapter 2. The theoretical and practical basis of the application of the
mind map into teaching how to make an outline for the discursive essay in
high schools.
Chapter 3. Teaching how to make an outline for the discursive essay
in high schools through the mind map
Chapter 4. Pedagogic Practice

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CHAPTER 1. THE OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH SITUATION

The text books and references of the recent half of century have many
research pages of teaching how to understand, seek the ideas, outline.
However, not all the researches apply these 3 research steps to the frame of
outline skills. We can mention to the different opinions on making an
outline of the authors such as Nghiem Toan, Le A, Tran Thanh Dam,
Nguyen Minh Thuyet, Do Ngoc Thong ….
1.2. The mind map and the application of mind map into the teaching
1.2.1. The conception of the mind map
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Tony Buzan – who made “mind map” become the global tool had
many direct speeches in TV and published the different books to offer the
theory and the important instructions. According to the summary statistics,
82 books of Tony Buzan were published in 25 countries and translated into
32 languages. He expressed the conception of the mind map with the main
contents related to relation between the central idea, line, color and
connection in his all research.
Some authors as J. Wycoff, J. Deladriere, F. Bihan, P. Mogin, D.
Rebaud, A. Khoo also expressed the knowledge of the mind map through
reviewing the specific example
1.2.2. The application of the mind map in the teaching
We can mention to the application of new thinking group (Vietnam
National University, Hanoi), the research of the authors such as Tran Dinh
Chau, Dang Thi Thu Thuy, Hoang Duc Huy ... when applying the mind map
in teaching the specific subjects in high schools as Mathematics, Physics,
Biology, Literature.
In the world, there are many research works of the application of the
mind map to help the students to learn by themselves, write the mind map
as the effective teaching practice technique, teaching how to analyze the

thinking of the people and can be written down in a form of outline on the
paper.
In the process of writing the discursive essay, making an outline has
the following roles: - helping the writer to become more active to cover the
content as well as adjusting the time to write effectively; prevent
misunderstanding the topic, not meeting the topic’s requirements.
- Helping the writer to understand the topic’s requirement
comprehensively and deeper, not miss out, repeat or arrange the idea in an
illogical order.
- Helping the writer to know what the main and important content of
the discursive essay is, what only the introduction, divide the time and
invest the intelligence and strength effectively in the whole implementation
process
- Being the important stage which makes the first orientation become
specific activity.
2.1.1.3. The process of making an outline
Step 1 - Analyzing helps to understand the topic, detect the important
and necessary instructions for looking for the idea.
Step 2 - Searching the idea related to the determining the treatise,
point, basis. There are the ways to describe this search process as searching
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and listing linearly, searching and applying the ideas to the Graph,
searching and describe the ideas as the mind map.
Step 3 - Choosing and arranging the idea in a logical order to create
the persuasion for the discursive essay, ensuring the system nature of the
argument and expressing the writer’s logic thinking when he/she wants to
highlight the topic
The product of the outline is a draft which shows 3 levels:

a. The note of the mind map
Step 1. Skimming through and look quickly the whole document to
have the original feel of the layout.
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Step 2. Calculating the time for reading and setting content which
needs to be completed during that time.
Step 3. Making a mind map of knowledge of this document
understood by learners to create the imagining connection in thinking.
Step 4: Identifying targets for learning, thereby fully making one
another mind map concerning all questions that need to be answered.
Step 5: Reading materials generally, table of contents, headlines,
illustrations, essential diagrams or any sections attracted by readers.
Step 6: Reading subject matters in advanced and unread contents in
the comprehensive step in order to add information into the mind map.
Step 7: Reading in detail, adding specific information into the learning
picture which is becoming clearer and clearer.
Step 8: Reading materials and the mind map again to know whether
there is any outstanding problem or not.
b. Creative mind maps
Step 1: Establishing the quick-fire mind map burst by identifying
images or center ideas and drawing branches immediately in the case of any
matters in the head appearing when thinking of the matter.
Step 2: Re-establishing and editing mind maps on the first time.
Step 3: Ponding opinions, considering problems deployed carefully
and deliberately, thinking in-depth and allowing to spread more.
Step 4: Re-establishing and editing mind maps on the second time to
consolidate and perfect mind maps.
Step 5: Allowing performers to issue final products reflecting

the function of reflecting the awareness about the specific matter, it is
necessary for students to know how to apply the intellectual manipulation
namely analysis, comparison, connection, system, imagination,
comprehension, generalization...
2.1.3.4. The steps for the building of mind maps and the
establishment of ideas have a lot in common
2.1.3.5. The deployment of mind maps is an effective method to
stimulate the intellectual ability of students
Mind map is identified as an external manifestation, performed on the
paper sheet and reflected modes of thinking of brains. Considering mind
maps is therefore to consider the way students think, thereby finding the
strengths, weakness and solutions to improve each student’s ability.
2.2. Practical basis
2.2.1. The contents of the teaching for discursive essays in the
“Literature” at the high school
According to the statistics, the proportion of lessons related to
establishing ideas is unequal to the status and function of this skill (14.3%
in the textbooks of basic boards and 18,2% in the textbooks of advanced
boards). The ways to deploy textbooks follow the direction “idealizations”,
only giving certain suggestions instead of not supplying various dimensions
to deploy. Thus, that does not make use of student’s ability to discover and
create.
2.2.2. The current situation of the teaching about the establishment
of ideas for discursive essays at the high school
According to the survey 72 of teachers at high schools by referendum
votes combined with interviews, attendance at some lessons at high schools,
teachers have awareness of the importance of the teaching about the
discursive essays at high schools. By this method or another, many teachers
have experiences in mind maps; the majority of teachers believe in the
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Step 1: Allowing students to expose texts.
Step 2: Identifying text’s treatise and giving the treatise in the center of
mind maps.
Step 3: Finding main ideas, supporting ideas and identifying the
braches for mind maps.
Step 4: Checking, comparing texts with mind maps and editing.
3.1.2.2. Instructing students to build up ideas by mind maps.
Step 1: Reading the topic of discourse essay.
Assisting students to gain the general impression, initial feelings
about the content and the method to address the matter proposed.
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Step 2: Using mind maps to analyze.
Analyzing the requirement of the topic with two criteria: content and
form; identifying the requirements that are performed based on the points
namely (1) key issues necessary for discussion, (2) the manipulation used
for gaining effectiveness, (3) the scope of materials and evidence
mobilized.
Noting to direct is to help students identify clear perspectives via
questions “How can you write your essay?” and “to whom do you write?”
to choose languages, methods to express appropriately.
Step 3: Using mind maps to find ideas.
- Identifying main ideas (big ideas) through the question system with
words “what”, “how”, “why”, “what meaning”,” what to do”…
- Identifying supporting ideas (smaller ideas to clarify each big ideas
above): Supporting ideas refers to arguments to explain, analyze, prove for
each theoretical ideas, confirm or refute one main ideas in the writing.
There are three methods to help students write down ideas:
Method 1: Finding all theoretical ideas before and then finding

outlines
SOME COMMENTS
a.
Making outlines for texts available is used in the theory lesson about
inventing ideas, which assists students to understand what the building of
ideas is and what the nature of this process is. The restructure of one text
has some objectives such as practicing finding ideas, identifying the logical
relationship among ideas, assessing the rationality about building up
writer’s ideas.
Materials
Mind maps
Students: reading materials, encoding, transferring text’s language according their own
understanding
Teachers: reading mind maps, encoding the language in mind maps, evaluating
student’s understanding about texts available.

By using mind maps during the process of helping students to
establish ideas, both teachers and students can be “direct beneficiaries” in
which teachers assess the reading ability of students and usurp texts. In term
of students, they make acquaintance with a tool from the nature, the way to
operate to the function. Thus, collecting, establishing ideas and memorizing
one text’s contents are becoming more convenient and easier.
b. In comparison with the establishment of ideas based on the linear and
the use of Graph, mind maps have particular characteristics about
creativity, diversification and unique. Teachers need to understand
this point clearly to use mind maps appropriately.
3.1.3. Some notes during the implementation process.
3.1.3.1. With regard to the function of students and teachers during
the teaching process, students establish ideas for essays themselves via
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+ Assisting students to find ideas for writing essays well, finding
ideas in certain order.
+ When students truly masters this skill, they can have be flexible in
each manipulation, find every major and mini ideals then the next major
ideals until the ending of it; or find random ideals, unfollow to horizontal –
vertical rules of mind map.
Mind map can be represented visually, it can be enough to be imagine
in my mind, depending on the understanding level of each student.
3.2.3. Training skills of mind map applications to make outline
Step 1. Students observe mind map to find ideals
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Step 2. Student organize ideals by logical orders by numbering on
mind map
Step 3. Complete mind map to set ideals
3.3. Building the lesson systems for skill exercises by using mind map to
make outline for thesis
3.3.1. Principles of exercise system building
Besides the general principles of building systems Vietnamese
assignments, thesis complement other specific rules, in accordance with the
construction of the exercise system for practicing skills of using mind map
to make outline for thesis
3.3.1.1. Principle of consistency: content of teaching; exercises with
teaching content; the relationship between the exercises which are used
together.
3.3.1.2. Diversity principle: Different types of exercises is made to
affect many thinking aspects of students
3.3.1.3. The principle of giving power and creating power: matching
the capacity of the student, as well as arousing the passion, excitement and

map
CHAPTER 4. PEDAGOGIC PRACTICE
4.1. Experimental purposes
Firstly, experimental teaching is mainly towards clarifying the
applicability of the mindmap theory into practical teaching of making essay
outline in high school. At the same time, assess the feasibility, potential
effectiveness of the method, the way of teaching the theory, practical
training by mindmap as proposed.
Secondly, through experiments, writer can get feedbacks from
teachers and students – first and direct people to give out theoretical and
scientific assumptions into practice. Here, feedbacks concerned include:
how is excitement to adopt new tool in the teaching of teachers and
students? With this new toolkit, convey and reception quality can improve?
Teachers and students use the thinking skills for effectively application?...
Thus, results and data obtained from experiments will yield much more
convincing.
Thirdly, data and feedback during the experimental course will also
suggest to the writer to make appropriate conclusions and find the right
solutions and further in the teaching method proposed by mindmap
4.2. Subjects and experimental site
4.2.1. Selection of students
- Students of grade 10, 11 in: Hanoi, Nam Dinh, Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho
and Hoa Binh.
4.2.2. Selection of teachers
Teachers involved in experimental teaching are those with different
teaching experience and ages, but must ensure teaching duration of at least
5 years, having mastered high school literature program, having college
degrees or above and are assessed by faculty for at least fairly average
specilized capability.
4.2.3. Selection of expirical location

exercises will be conducted through the exchange with experimental
teachers
After class, students do the following test:
Students in experimental class do 30-minute test in class
Question 1. Check the skills of using mind map to make ideals for available
text
Question 2. Check the skills of using mind map to make ideals for the topic
of essay
+ At the same time, students in both experiment class and control
class do 30-minute test to assess the capacity for making ideals for the topic
of essay.
Step 3. Synthesis, process data and evaluate experimental results.
4.4. Evaluation experimental results
4.4.1. Assessment criteria
4.4.1.1. Qualitative
- Assessment of the influences of mind map on teaching hours of
making essay, compared to teaching hours of traditional methods through
the consideration of transfer- reception excitement of teachers and students
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- Assess the possibility of using mind map in teaching for making
essay in general, teaching for making ideals in particular of teachers and
students through:
+ Assess the ability to master knowledge and understanding of the
knowledge of student.
+ Assess the certainty of students in acquiring knowledge and
understanding has been applied to solve specific problems
4.4.1.2. Quantitative
If qualitative assessment criteria has been tested primarily through

personality and your opinions.
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4.4.4.2. Regarding students' studying
- Students have a new learning tool so they are excited, more actively
participate in school hours; the spirit of cooperation and mutual criticism is
greatly enhanced.
- Students knows how to analyze and develop effective problems,
takes less time, but demonstrate the ability of finding and creation of
themselves
- How to memorize concepts quickly through examples because each
mind map of language analysis is already a vivid image built by students.
The ability to retrieve knowledge after school is recognized to significantly
increase
- Some students face the difficulty in the process of looking for
keywords, less choice of valuable words so that they use long phrases or
sentences

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CONCLUSION
1. In this era of rapid development of science and technology in
present, innovation of contents and teaching methods is inevitable trend. As
the advanced and modern education of school will contribute significantly
in making the citizens have knowledge, practical capacity and meet the
increasing demands of society. Radical and comprehensive innovation
requires to change educational activities into self-education activities;
changing role of students from guests who receive knowledge into active

lessons relevant to making outline is not satisfied; illustration of language,
the deployment method is generally poor, different implementation
approaches are not provided to students which easily fall into the stalemate
of ideas. On the status of teaching to make outline for essays in high school,
investigation of the situation of teaching of essay making by teachers and
use mind map pointed out that basically, most teachers all approaches mind
map, highly appreciates applicability in teaching in teaching of making
outline for essay. However, how to use it efficiently is still concerned. The
embarrassing of this teaching content makes unattractive and unlively
lessons. For high school students, the survey results reflect the reality that
many children do not have the habit of making outline before writing, if
they do, they still face problems due to many different causes. At the same
time, the majority of students have never been used mind map to make
outline
4. The thesis has shown the organization method for teaching of
making outline for essay in high school by mind map through three major
points: forming for student to use mind map to make outline; training skills
for students to use mind map in essay; building the system of exercise
practice skills of mind map to make outline in essay. In each section, we
have specific instructions, vivid illustration by topic system and mind map
in each subject analysis, brainstorming, and outline. As for content building
of exercise system, the thesis has defined the specific guidelines, which
recommended three main forms of exercise:
oriented mind map,
independent mind map and unreasonable mind map. Approaching to
different directions of thinking, these exercises will contribute into the
diverse of the forms of teaching and training skills to set up the high school
students.
In the presentation, the thesis has always posed analysis for the
comparison of mind map value with traditional teaching tools such as

regions. The results showed that the quality and effectiveness of experiment
class is higher than that of control class. The most noticeable thing is the
enthusiasm, positivity, initiative increased by both the teacher and the
student. Experimental activities take place in the locality but not very
spaciously, but the initial results, the data has allowed us to believe in the
feasibility of topics.
In general, the selected methods include survey methodology;
methods of analysis, synthesis of document; statistical methods, data
processing; experimental method and mapping method of thinking promote
the values which help us to analyze and assess the problems of teaching of
making outline, teaching of making outline with mind map in high school
currently. Thereby, the thesis achieved initial intended purpose, confirmed
scientific hypothesis.
6. Although– specifically, teachers and students in the teaching
process of making outline potentially bring many benefits to the users but
the application of mind map also causes some specific difficulties. First of
all, this is unexplored theories in the field of Literature teaching in our
country. To be able to apply this theory effectively, it requires much time
and effort as well as the coordination of the human factor. In addition,
because mind map only initially acts as supporting tools so the deployment
time of mind map in class cannot be extended. Limitation of time led to
both teachers and students hardly makes conditions created by the deep and
open map. For resolution, teachers should guide necessary techniques for
students, take samples and for them to self-study with mind map. The
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inquiry and application of new studying methods and tools will face
difficulties initially, but if persistent, remarkable results for process
innovation content and teaching methods will certainly be achieved