Investigation of the Cognitive Structures of Gifted Secondary School Students: A Study of Geography Concept

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 148 - 168, 28.10.2025

Mustafa Arslan , Hilmi Demirkaya

https://doi.org/10.53047/josse.1743426

https://izlik.org/JA75YJ52HT

Abstract

Assessing students’ comprehension of geography through a word association test is crucial for understanding their cognitive frameworks. This insight is fundamental in facilitating students’ cognitive development. This study aimed to investigate how gifted secondary school students conceptualise geography utilising a word association test. The research was designed as a quantitative research method using a survey model, and content analysis was used in the analysis of the data. Data collected from 100 gifted secondary school students were categorised into nine oes: geomorphology, political geography, educational resources, cartography, hydrogeography, biogeography, cultural geography, soil-agricultural geography, and climatology. The results of this investigation can inform educational strategies that optimise the learning potential of gifted students and align with their cognitive constructs of geography.

Keywords

Conception , gifted student , geography , word association test , cognitive structure , secondary school

Investigation of the Cognitive Structures of Gifted Secondary School Students: A Study of Geography Concept

https://izlik.org/JA75YJ52HT

Abstract

Öğrencilerin coğrafyayı anlamalarını bir kelime ilişkilendirme testi aracılığıyla değerlendirmek, bilişsel çerçevelerini anlamak için çok önemlidir. Bu kavrayış, öğrencilerin bilişsel gelişimini kolaylaştırmada temeldir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, üstün yetenekli ortaokul öğrencilerinin coğrafyayı nasıl kavramsallaştırdıklarını bir kelime ilişkilendirme testi kullanarak araştırmaktır. Üstün yetenekli 100 ortaokul öğrencisinden toplanan veriler dokuz temaya ayrılmıştır: jeomorfoloji, siyasi coğrafya, eğitim kaynakları, kartografya, hidrojeografi, biyocoğrafya, kültürel coğrafya, toprak-tarım coğrafyası ve klimatoloji. Bu araştırmanın sonuçları, üstün yetenekli öğrencilerin öğrenme potansiyelini optimize eden ve coğrafyanın bilişsel yapılarıyla uyumlu olan eğitim stratejilerini bilgilendirebilir.

Keywords

Kavram , üstün yetenekli öğrenci , coğrafya , kelime ilişkilendirme testi , bilişsel yapı , ortaokul

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