Asian Migrant Adolescents' Experience of Wayfinding in Using a Map

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Cross-cultural studies in wayfinding have not been a focus for researchers. Although there has been extensive research into different aspects of wayfinding, mainly in Western cultural settings, virtually all of this research has been monocultural. The study reported, here, commences the investigations of cross-cultural studies in wayfinding by working with a group of 14 adolescents who had recently settled in Australia from Asian and Pacific countries. These students had lived for less than two years in Australia and for them English was their second or third language. The purpose of the study was to investigate how they used a large scale local map to find their own way by walking approximately two to three kilometers from a suburban post office to their school in its natural setting. Each student was shadowed by a researcher as they found their way back to school and notes were taken to record their behavioural performance. At the conclusion of their walk, the students were interviewed for their reflections on their wayfinding experience. The data from the study was analyses using a phenomenographic approach. Four different conceptions of wayfinding were revealed among this cross-cultural group of adolescents. However, only a limited number of cross-cultural influences were detected in the study.