Kaddoura et al. (2016), USA

To explore how junior baccalaureate nursing students perceive the effect of a concept mapping educational strategy on the development of clinical judgment skills.

n = 106

(89% of the participants were female, and 11% were male)

Descriptive study

The findings revealed that the use of concept mapping provided an interactive way to foster the growth of clinical judgment skills in nursing students.

Lee et al. (2013), Taiwan

To investigate the growth and the other factors influencing the development of critical thinking in response to concept map.

n = 95

(All students were female and the age ranged from 20 to 26 years with a mean of 22.03 years)

Quasi-experimental and longitudinal follow-up design

The results of this study showed that intervention with concept mapping as a teaching strategy had positive effects on critical thinking overtime, which implied that concept map may be useful in helping students how to think critically (t = −2.55, p < 0.05).

Sarhangi et al. (2010), Iran

To compare the effect of lecture- and concept mapping based learning on cognitive learning levels of nursing students.

n = 66

(60.6% of students were female. The average age of experimental group was 21.23 years and that of control group was ±21.21)

Quasi-experimental design

Concept mapping method is more effective in reaching meaningful learning and high levels of understanding than traditional lectures

(the meaningful learning mean scores between groups was statistically significant p < 0.005).

Trevisani et al. (2016), Brazil

To identify whether the use of concept mapping (CM) strategy assists a student to extend and revise their expertise in oncology and analyze the abilities developed in a student in order to go through theoretical to practical knowledge.

n = 20

(18 (90%) were female and 2 (10%) were male. The age range of most participants was 21 - 28 years)

Descriptive qualitative

The results suggested an increase of autonomy and clinical reasoning in nursing practice.