Level of pupils´ map skills in Slovakia

Abstract

The aim of geographical education is to enhance the level of geographical literacy among pupils, enabling them to acquire, comprehend, analyse, and interpret geographic information so they are able to apply it effectively. One approach to improving this literacy level involves utilizing map skills, through which pupils can read, analyse, interpret map content, and even create maps. This research aimed to assess the level of selected map skills among Slovak pupils at the end of lower secondary education (ISCED 2). A self-constructed research tool was used as the research instrument. Analysis of the acquired data revealed an average level of map skills among the pupils. The highest proficiency was observed in tasks focused on utilizing skills associated with map reading. Conversely, the lowest proficiency was found in tasks requiring the application of skills related to map analysis. The data collected suggest that although pupils at the end of lower secondary education possess skills enabling them to obtain necessary information from a map, they encounter challenges in analysing and subsequently interpreting this information.