AYDIN, Fatih Karabük Üniversitesi - Edebiyat Fakültesi - Coğrafya Bölümü, Turkey

Evaluation of High School Geography Course in Terms of Thinking Skills

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The purpose of this research is to evaluate geography lesson in terms of thinking skills based on students’ views at different types of high schools. This research is also aiming at finding out whether there is a meaningful difference at students’ views according to gender, class and school type variables in gaining thinking skills in geography lessons. The research was carried out through 481 high school students in the central district of Isparta province in 2010-2011 academic year. Survey model was used in this research. “Geography lesson thinking skills scale” was used as data gathering tool. As the result of the study the gathered data were analyzed by SPSS 15 statistical programme in terms of frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, t test and one way variance analysis (ANOVA). It was concluded in the research that activities for thinking skills were practised “most of the time”. In the students’ views towards practising thinking skills did not have a meaningful variation according to “gender” but the variation took place according to “class levels” and “school types”. In the result of the research it was suggested that questions towards improving students’ thinking skills and brain-storming, teaching through exploration, problem based learning, cooperative learning and such student centered methods should be used.

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Geography , geography education , thinking skills

eastern geographical review

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