The Effect of Orienteering Applications on Students' Spatial Thinking Skills in Social Studies: The Case of Turkey

Year 2021, Volume: 11 Issue: 1, 75 - 99, 30.03.2021

Turan Yiğit , Kadir Karatekin

https://doi.org/10.33403/rigeo.839193

Abstract

Spatial thinking skills are competencies individuals will need in their lives in order to know and understand the world and to perceive the space correctly. In order for individuals to have these competencies, effective traning in the development of spatial thinking skills should occur. Spatial thinking skills can be acquired through student-centered, active learning and orienteering activities, all of which can be applied in lessons as a type of game instead of through traditional teaching methods and techniques. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the effect of spatial thinking skills on the orienteering practices of students' in primary school Grade 4 Social Studies course. The study group consists of a total of 104 students: 51 students are in the experimental group and 53 students are in the control group. All participants are in Grade 4 at a primary school in Merkez district of Kastamonu province in Turkey during the 2019-2020 academic year. Lessons were taught with activities based on orienteering practices in the experimental group, and curriculum-based instruction was conducted in the control group. In the research, one of the quantitative research methods was used as a quasi-experimental model with a pretest-posttest control group. The Spatial Thinking Skill Test (STSS) developed by the researcher was used as the data collection tool. As a result of the research, it was concluded that orienteering practices are effective in developing students' spatial thinking skills. Orienteering is recommended to be used as a teaching technique in Social Studies lessons because it is an entertaining activity that enables learning by doing, the development of multi-faceted thinking, and the transference of spatial thinking skills to daily life.

Keywords

social studies, spatial thinking skill, orieentering

References

• Ablak, S. (2019). Sosyal bilgilerde beceri eğitimi. B. Aksoy, B. Akbaba ve B. Kılcan (Ed.) içinde, Mekânı algılama (s. 413-430). Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayıncılık.
• Akgül, N. İ. (2006). The methods used by classroom teachers in social studies course and the problems they encountered (Niğde Province Example) (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Niğde Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Niğde.
• Akman, K. (2017). Investigation of orienteer high-schoolers' motivation levels in terms of different variables (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Atatürk Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Erzurum.
• Akmehmetoğlu, H. (2014). The problems encountered by Social Sciences teachers in Social Sciences teaching (Sample of Kastamonu province) (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Kastamonu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Kastamonu.
• Aktürk V., Yazıcı H. & Bulut R. (2013). The effects of the use of animations and digital maps in social studies on students’ spatial perception skills. Marmara Coğrafya Dergisi, 28, 1-17.
• Aktürk, V. (2012). The effects of using animation and digital map for students? capabilities to perceive the space in social studies lesson (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Afyon Kocatepe Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Afyon.
• Aladağ, S. (2015). Sosyal bilgiler öğretimi. Ramazan Sever (Ed.) içinde, Sosyal bilgiler öğretiminde beceriler (s. 307-348). Ankara: Nobel Akademi Yayıncılık.
• Alataş, F. (2008). The soft sciences course of 4th and 5th grades in primary school (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, İzmir.
• Ata, B. (2015). Sosyal bilgiler öğretimi: demokratik vatandaşlık eğitimi. Cemil Öztürk (Ed.) içinde, Sosyal bilgiler öğretim programı (s. 33-47). Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayıncılık.
• Ateş, A. (2007). A research on the basic problems that the orienteers face in Turkey (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.
• Avcı, M. (2013). Geography students' views on the use of orienteering activity in geography education (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.
• Baloğlu Uğurlu, N., & Aladağ, E. (2015). The placing of spatial thinking in Turkish social studies education and social studies teachers’ opinion about this ıssue. Marmara Coğrafya Dergisi, 32, 22-42.
• Büyüköztürk, Ş. (2007). Sosyal bilimler için veri analizi el kitabı. Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayıncılık.
• Çepni, S. (2014). Araştırma ve proje çalışmalarına giriş. (7. Basım). Trabzon: Celepler Matbaacılık.
• Demirci, A. (2008). Coğrafya öğretiminde yöntem ve yaklaşımlar. R. Özey ve A. Demirci (Ed.) içinde, Coğrafyayı yeniden keşfetmek (1-16). İstanbul: Aktif Yayınevi.
• Di Tore, P. A., Corona, F., & Sibilio, M. (2015). Orienteering: Spatial Navigation Strategies and Cognitive Processes. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 10(1), 507-514.
• Doğan, C. (2004). Classroom teachers' views on lessons and their preferred teaching methods: Sample of Istanbul province. Türk Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 2 (2), 193-203.
• Ekiz, D. (2013). Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri. Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık.
• Emekli, G. (2006). Geography, culture and tourism: Cultural tourism. Ege Coğrafya Dergisi, 15, 51-59.
• Gelbal, S. (2013). Ölçme ve değerlendirme. Eskişehir: Anadolu Üniversitesi Açık Öğretim Fakültesi Yayınları.
• Gençtürk, E. (2013). Sosyal bilgiler için çoklu okuryazarlık. K. Karatekin ve E. Gençtürk (Ed.) içinde, Coğrafya okuryazarlığı (s. 24-42). Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayıncılık.
• Golledge, R. G., Marsh, M. & Battersby, S. (2008). Matching geospatial concepts with geographic educational needs. Geographical Research, 46(1), 85-98.
• Guzmán, J. F., Pablos, A. M., & Pablos, C. (2008). Perceptual-cognitive skills and performance in orienteering. Perceptual and motor skills, 107(1), 159-164.
• Hart, R. (1979). Children's experience of place. Newyork: Irvington Publishers.
• Huynh, N. T. (2009). The role of geospatial thinking and geographic skills in effective problem solving with gıs: K-16 education (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario.
• Jo, I. (2011). Fostering a spatially literate generation: Explicit instruction in spatial thinking for preservice teachers (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Texas A&M University, Texas.
• Kan, Ç. (2006). The pursuıt of effectıve ınstructıon of socıal studıes course. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 14(2), 537-544.
• Karaca, F. (2008). Function of orienteering applications on primary school's program (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Gazi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.
• Karatekin, K. (2006). The effect of teaching the subject of direction and finding methods according to multiple intelligence theory on student’s success at the 4th class of primary school (Yayınlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.
• Karatekin, K., Sönmez, Ö. F., & Kuş, Z. (2010). Facing problems and teachers’ opinions about the practising of teaching activities prepared according to multiple intelligence. Türkiye Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 14(2), 139-154.
• Kaya, S., & Elgün, A. (2015). The ınfluence of ınstructıonal games ın scıence teachıng on prımary students’ achıevement. Kastamonu Eğitim Dergisi, 23(1), 329-342.
• Kim, M. (2011). Effects of a gis course on three components of spatial literacy (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Texas A&M University, Texas.
• Kobayashi, T. (2019, July). Orienteering in geography education in japanese high school. Paper Presented at the 29th International Cartographic Conference (ICC 2019), Tokyo, Japan.
• Koçyiğit, S., Tuğluk, M. N., & Kök, M. (2007). Play as educational activity in the child's development process. Atatürk Üniversitesi Kazım Karabekir Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 16, 324-342.
• Köşker, N. (2012). Thoughts of prospectıve class teachers on theırspatıal cognıtıve adequacy. Zeitschrift für die Welt der Türken/Journal of World of Turks, 4(3), 161-173.
• Lee, J. W. (2005). Effect of gis learning on spatial ability (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Texas A&M University, Texas.
• Lee, J., & Bednarz, R. (2009). Effect of GIS learning on spatial thinking. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 33(2), 183-198.
• Lee, J., & Bednarz, R. (2012). Components of spatial thinking: Evidence from a spatial thinking ability test. Journal of Geography, 111(1), 15-26.
• Merç, A. (2011). Spatial cognition and map-reading skills of students studying social studies education and pre-school education (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Aydın.
• Merç, A. (2017). The effectiveness of Google Earth in the acquisition of spatial perception ability in social studies courses (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). Anadolu Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Eskişehir.
• Ministry of National Education (2018). 2018 Social Studies Lesson Curriculum (Primary and Secondary School 4, 5, 6 and 7 grades). Retrieved from https://mufredat.meb.gov.tr/Dosyalar/201812103847686SOSYAL%20B%C4%B0LG%C4%B0LER%20%C3%96%C4%9ERET%C4%B0M%20PROGRAMI%20.pdf
• Mohan, L., Mohan, A., & Uttal, D. (2014). Research on thinking and learning with maps and geospatial technologies. Learning progressions for maps, geospatial technology and spatial thinking: A research handbook. Washington, DC: Association of American Geographers, 9-21.
• Mutluer, C. (2013). Social studies teachers' views about the skills in social studies programs (Izmir menemen sample). International Periodical For the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic Volume 8/7 Summer 2013, 355-362.
• Namal, R. (2019). The development of graph drawing ang interpretation skills in social studies teaching (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.
• Notarnicola, A., Vicenti, G., Tafuri, S., Fischetti, F., Laricchia, L., Guastamacchia, R., & Moretti, B. (2012). Improved mental representation of space in beginner orienteers. Perceptual and motor skills, 114(1), 250-260.
• Öcal, A. (2007). Inquiring 6. grades student’s spatial cognition skills in elementary school social studies course (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.
• Öcal, A. (2009). Sosyal bilgiler öğretiminde yeni yaklaşımlar-1. R. Turan, A. M. Sünbül ve H. Akdağ (Ed.) içinde, Sosyal bilgiler dersinde mekânı algılama becerisini yeniden düşünmek (s.263-278). Ankara: Pegem Akademi Yayıncılık.
• Özcan, F. (2006). Examination of orieenterlng sport on the effect of mathematical - logical and social individual attitudes of college students (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Dumlupınar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Kütahya.
• Özçelik, D. A. (2010). Ölçme ve değerlendirme. Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
• Özdemir, A. A. (2011). The effect of spatial skill education program on spatial skills of pre-school children's (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). Marmara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, İstanbul.
• Özyürek, A., & Çavuş, Z. S. (2016). Examination of the status of primary school teachers whether or not they use game-based teaching techniques. Kastamonu Education Journal, 24(5), 2157.
• Pouya, S., Demir, S., & Demirel, Ö. (2017). Orienteering plays for disabled children. Kastamonu Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Dergisi, 17(4), 608-618.
• Safi, H. (2010). Teachers' opinions about the spatial cognition skills (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Marmara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, İstanbul.
• Şahin, D., & Güven, S. (2016). The opinions of primary school teachers on teaching methods and techniques in science and technology, science of life courses and social studies. Online Fen Eğitimi Dergisi, 1(1), 42-59.
• Selanik Ay, T., & Yavuz, Ü. (2016). The ımplementations classroom teachers use ın order to reinforce literacy skills in social studies classes. Anadolu Journal of Educational Sciences International, 6(2), 31-63.
• Şimşek, S. & Öztürk M. (2019). Sosyal bilgiler eğitimine giriş. Süleyman İnan (Ed.) içinde, Beceriler (s. 193-224). Ankara: Anı Yayıncılık.
• Sönmez, F. (2019). The effect of geographical information systems (Gis) based on social studies teaching on spatial thinking skills (Yayımlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi). Trabzon Üniversitesi Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, Trabzon.
• Sönmez, Ö. F. (2010). Map skills in primary school social studies education (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). Gazi Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Ankara.
• Tanrıkulu, M. (2011). A dıfferent usıng area of map and compass orıenteerıng. Milli Eğitim Dergisi, 41(191), 120-126.
• Taş, H. İ. (2006). The ımportance of vitualizations in geographic education: An educational aproaches to spatial context. Doğu Coğrafya Dergisi, 16, 211-238.
• Taşdemir, A. (2016). Problems encountered in the teaching of social studies teachers by social studies in socio-economically disadvantaged regions (Sample of Ağrı provience) (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Ağrı.
• Torun, F., & Duran, H. (2014). Effect of game method on success, permanence and attıtude ın chıldren’s rıghts educatıon. Adıyaman Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 7(16), 418-448.
• Tümertekin, E. & Özgüç, N. (2019). Beşeri coğrafya: İnsan, kültür ve mekân. (18. Basım). İstanbul: Çantay Kitabevi.
• Tuna, F., & Balcı, A. (2013). The effects of orienteering on prospective geography teachers’ self-efficacy perceptions. Marmara Coğrafya Dergisi, 27, 1- 14.
• Turan, R. (2018). A general evaluatıon on 2017 prımary and mıddle school socıal studıes currıculum. Diyalektolog Ulusal Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi,19,295-328.
• Turgut, M. F. & Baykul, Y. (2014). Eğitimde ölçme ve değerlendirme. Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
• Türker, A. (2019). Sosyal bilgilerde beceri eğitimi. B. Aksoy, B. Akbaba ve B. Kılcan (Ed.) içinde, Değişim ve sürekliliği algılama (s.53-66). Ankara: Pegem Akademi
• Ünlü, M. (2011). The level of realizing geographical skills in geography lessons. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Bilimleri. 11(4), 2155-2172.
• Uzuner, F. G. (2019). An investi̇gati̇on of the effects of ori̇enteering on the development of pri̇mary school students' math problem-solving skills (Yayımlanmamış doktora tezi). Trabzon Üniversitesi Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, Trabzon.
• Vukadinović, N., Juhas, I. & Kozoderović, J. (2015). Orienteering section as a form of extracurricular activities in physical education. Fizička Kultura, 69(1), 59-69.
• Yıldız ve Şimşek (2020) The effect of educational game, readıng-wrıtıng-game, and readıng-wrıtıng-applıcatıon methods on elımınatıng learnıng problems. Balıkesir University The Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 23 (43), 87-117