Examining the Map Literacy Levels of Students in the Faculty of Education

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to examine the map literacy levels of students who are studying in different departments of a Faculty of Education in response to a range of variables. The research was conducted in a screening model. A map literacy scale was used as the data collection tool in the research. The research was conducted at a university in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey during the academic year 2020-2021. There were 260 participants from six departments of studying the Faculty of Education program (primary, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, pre-school guidance, and counselling). In solving the problem and sub-problems of the research, t-test and one-way analysis of variance techniques was used. As a result of the research, the total map literacy test scores of participating undergraduate students in the Faculty of Education were found to be similar according to gender, class, and variables for the purpose of using the map in daily life. In contrast, from the study, all students in the Faculty of Education who completed the Map Literacy Test, the scores were in favor of those completing Geography courses. For the variable according to the level of participation in various activities in the natural environment, the results were in favor of those completing Social Studies education. Significant differences were found in favor of teacher candidates who were completing the Geography course (branch variable): their interest level was moderate and high. According to research results, in order to improve the level of map literacy amongst undergraduate students in a Faculty of Education, it is recommended to do more activities in Geography courses and to include trip-observation-like applications to increase the frequency of presence in the natural environment.