An Evaluation on Secondary School Students’ Map Literacy Skills

The aim of this research is to examine whether the 7th graders have satisfactory knowledge on map literacy levels. This research is a qualitative study in scanning model. The sample group of the research consisted of 96 7th graders chosen through not random purposeful criterion sampling in 3 secondary schools in the city center of Adıyaman. A question form developed by the researcher was employed as the data collection tool in the research. The questions were formed based on acquisitions of the curriculum of 2017 social studies course in secondary school. It was revealed through the findings of the research that the 7th graders’ map literacy levels were mainly at intermediate level. The students’ geographic knowledge is thought not to have improved sufficiently as they only memorized what they were taught during the course period but they didn’t employ it too much in practice. This is also thought to happen because they did not study on maps and interpret geographic knowledge sufficiently. The fact that the workbooks for social studies course for secondary school don’t involve the sufficient number of activities on map literacy can be said to have had negative effect on the development of these skills. The research study is thought to be an important data source for further studies on this field. The content on map literacy can be increased in course books for social studies. More activities on this issue can be employed in workbooks. More interesting maps, and in greater number, can be added in social studies course books. Corners for maps can be designed in school corridors or in classrooms. Social studies teachers can contribute to further development of these skills by using various activities and materials while teaching the topics related to map literacy.