Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions Regarding Mind Mapping Among Undergraduate Respiratory Therapy Students in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: Mind mapping is an active learning strategy that supports information organization and integration. Evidence regarding Saudi respiratory therapy students’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding mind mapping remains scarce. This study assessed these domains among this population. Methods: This observational, descriptive, cross-sectional survey included 405 undergraduate respiratory therapy students from 13 Saudi universities, recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. A researcher-developed questionnaire was used to evaluate the content validity, face validity, and internal consistency. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22. Nonparametric statistical tests were applied, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The overall mean knowledge score was 4.70 of 10 (SD = 1.54). Using modified Bloom cutoffs, 277 students (68.4%) had low knowledge. The mean attitude and perception scores were 3.66 (SD = 0.58) and 3.64 out of 5 (SD = 0.66), respectively, indicating generally favorable responses. Knowledge and attitude scores did not differ significantly by sex, academic level, or geographic region. Attitude scores showed a significant increasing trend across the grade point average (GPA) categories ( p < 0.001). Female students had a higher overall perception score than males (3.70 vs 3.58; p =0.022). Perception scores did not differ significantly by academic level or geographic region, but differed across universities ( p < 0.001), with means ranging from 3.36 to 4.35. Conclusion: Respiratory therapy students demonstrated limited knowledge but generally favorable attitudes and perceptions regarding mind mapping. Attitude scores increased across the GPA categories, whereas perception scores varied by sex and participating university. These findings provide multi-institutional baseline evidence that may inform future educational planning and evaluations of mind mapping in respiratory therapy education. Keywords: active learning, visual learning, learning strategies, health professions education, learner-centered education, educational innovation