Internationally, curriculums emphasize the importance of spatial abilities development in school,... more Internationally, curriculums emphasize the importance of spatial abilities development in school, and it has been proven that teaching geography can help improve spatial thinking. The main goal of this study was to investigate the spatial thinking of Secondary Education students. The research sample was 474 Junior High school students (246 students from the 7th grade and 248 students from the 8th grade), aged 13-14 years, coming from 49 different public schools all over Greece. A questionnaire was distributed to students that included questions based on the categories of spatial thinking of Gersmehl and Gersmehl (2011). The findings of the research have identified a weakness in the students’ spatial perception, with satisfactory performances only in the floor plans. There is no statistical difference between boys and girls, but the total score in most questions was low.
The development of spatial abilities in young children leads to better achievement in STEAM educa... more The development of spatial abilities in young children leads to better achievement in STEAM education and in their daily lives. Early interventions have been shown to be highly effective in developing spatial abilities. In this study, the spatial abilities curriculum of the Greek kindergarten is described, and the use of maps is recommended for inclusion in the curriculum. This study examines kindergarten pupils’ spatial abilities at the end of two consecutive preschool years and determines whether attending kindergarten for one or two years succeeded in developing the participating pupils’ spatial abilities and achieving the goals set by the curriculum. Furthermore, it investigates which spatial abilities can be developed to the greatest and lowest degree and whether there is a statistical difference in achievement between age (1 or 2 years of study) and gender. The research sample consisted of 90 pupils from 5 different kindergarten classes; these pupils had attended kindergarten ...
This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Andr... more This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Android application, a web application and an online database. It motivates students to visit various geographic points of interest and answer site-related questions of multiple choice type. The android application used by the students, takes advantage of the navigation (GPS) and internet connectivity features of their smartphones. The web application is used by tutors, to create dynamic location-based educational games for their students. The database stores data such as site information and coordinates, questions and answers regarding the area of interest, as well as students' performance results. There are no geographical restrictions and no limits regarding the number of destinations, thus making the application usable from everyone everywhere.
This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Andr... more This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Android application, a web application and an online database. It motivates students to visit various geographic points of interest and answer site-related questions of multiple choice type. The android application used by the students, takes advantage of the navigation (GPS) and internet connectivity features of their smartphones. The web application is used by tutors, to create dynamic location-based educational games for their students. The database stores data such as site information and coordinates, questions and answers regarding the area of interest, as well as students' performance results. There are no geographical restrictions and no limits regarding the number of destinations, thus making the application usable from everyone everywhere.
This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Andr... more This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Android application, a web application and an online database. It motivates students to visit various geographic points of interest and answer site-related questions of multiple choice type. The android application used by the students, takes advantage of the navigation (GPS) and internet connectivity features of their smartphones. The web application is used by tutors, to create dynamic location-based educational games for their students. The database stores data such as site information and coordinates, questions and answers regarding the area of interest, as well as students' performance results. There are no geographical restrictions and no limits regarding the number of destinations, thus making the application usable from everyone everywhere.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers and students towards the su... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers and students towards the subject of geography, and whether it affects the students’ performance. The sample comprised 600 6th-grade primary school students from various areas of Greece, and their 33 teachers. The following findings were made: a) the largest part of the teachers and students shows a medium or poor attitude towards the subject of geography; b) teachers’ reeducation did not seem to improve either the attitude of teachers or the attitude and performance of their students; c) prior working experience of teachers did not appear to affect attitude, but it does affect performance of their students in geography; d) the teaching method (traditional or with the use of technologies) did not appear to differentiate the students’ attitude towards geography.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers and students towards the su... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers and students towards the subject of geography, and whether it affects the students’ performance. The sample comprised 600 6th-grade primary school students from various areas of Greece, and their 33 teachers. The following findings were made: a) the largest part of the teachers and students shows a medium or poor attitude towards the subject of geography; b) teachers’ reeducation did not seem to improve either the attitude of teachers or the attitude and performance of their students; c) prior working experience of teachers did not appear to affect attitude, but it does affect performance of their students in geography; d) the teaching method (traditional or with the use of technologies) did not appear to differentiate the students’ attitude towards geography.
This study aims to present an ICT-based teaching scenario, which was implemented in 21 students (... more This study aims to present an ICT-based teaching scenario, which was implemented in 21 students (10 boys and 11 girls) of the 7th grade of a Junior High School on Lesvos Island, Greece. Intervention was applied to the Geography course, and it lasted 8 hours. The main characteristic of this class was that one-third of the students were non-native Greek speaking. Teaching tools used were: simulations, online quiz, movie maker software, QGIS software and power point for students activities. To check the effectiveness of this intervention, tools were distributed to students through 2 (pre-and post) questionnaires that were anonymous, but they had a code to identify and compare the same students’ answers to pre-and postintervention. Main results showed that all students had better achievements after the intervention was completed, and the greatest difference laid in those students who were not native speakers of Greek. The students’ creations also indicated that they changed or completed...
This study aims to present an ICT-based teaching scenario, which was implemented in 21 students (... more This study aims to present an ICT-based teaching scenario, which was implemented in 21 students (10 boys and 11 girls) of the 7th grade of a Junior High School on Lesvos Island, Greece. Intervention was applied to the Geography course, and it lasted 8 hours. The main characteristic of this class was that one-third of the students were non-native Greek speaking. Teaching tools used were: simulations, online quiz, movie maker software, QGIS software and power point for students activities. To check the effectiveness of this intervention, tools were distributed to students through 2 (pre-and post) questionnaires that were anonymous, but they had a code to identify and compare the same students’ answers to pre-and postintervention. Main results showed that all students had better achievements after the intervention was completed, and the greatest difference laid in those students who were not native speakers of Greek. The students’ creations also indicated that they changed or completed...
This study focused on the analysis of Grade-12 (Senior) students' sociocultural constructivis... more This study focused on the analysis of Grade-12 (Senior) students' sociocultural constructivist interactions using Web 2.0 applications during a geographical research process. In the study methodology context, a transdisciplinary case study (TdCS) with ethnographic and research action data was designed, implemented and analyzed in real teaching conditions for this study. The goal of the research process was students to integrate into authentic activities that that relate to their experiences and create a learning community, developing cognitive geographic knowledge. The study reveals a need to: a) design and implement transdisciplinary actions to create more learning incentives, exchange ideas and collaborate, for the geographical science issues study, b) shape new ways of interacting and operating social structures in the context of geographical research process, c) promote the skills that students need in real life, as participatory interaction, interpersonal communication, spa...
Internationally, curriculums emphasize the importance of spatial abilities development in school,... more Internationally, curriculums emphasize the importance of spatial abilities development in school, and it has been proven that teaching geography can help improve spatial thinking. The main goal of this study was to investigate the spatial thinking of Secondary Education students. The research sample was 474 Junior High school students (246 students from the 7th grade and 248 students from the 8th grade), aged 13-14 years, coming from 49 different public schools all over Greece. A questionnaire was distributed to students that included questions based on the categories of spatial thinking of Gersmehl and Gersmehl (2011). The findings of the research have identified a weakness in the students’ spatial perception, with satisfactory performances only in the floor plans. There is no statistical difference between boys and girls, but the total score in most questions was low.
The development of spatial abilities in young children leads to better achievement in STEAM educa... more The development of spatial abilities in young children leads to better achievement in STEAM education and in their daily lives. Early interventions have been shown to be highly effective in developing spatial abilities. In this study, the spatial abilities curriculum of the Greek kindergarten is described, and the use of maps is recommended for inclusion in the curriculum. This study examines kindergarten pupils’ spatial abilities at the end of two consecutive preschool years and determines whether attending kindergarten for one or two years succeeded in developing the participating pupils’ spatial abilities and achieving the goals set by the curriculum. Furthermore, it investigates which spatial abilities can be developed to the greatest and lowest degree and whether there is a statistical difference in achievement between age (1 or 2 years of study) and gender. The research sample consisted of 90 pupils from 5 different kindergarten classes; these pupils had attended kindergarten ...
This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Andr... more This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Android application, a web application and an online database. It motivates students to visit various geographic points of interest and answer site-related questions of multiple choice type. The android application used by the students, takes advantage of the navigation (GPS) and internet connectivity features of their smartphones. The web application is used by tutors, to create dynamic location-based educational games for their students. The database stores data such as site information and coordinates, questions and answers regarding the area of interest, as well as students' performance results. There are no geographical restrictions and no limits regarding the number of destinations, thus making the application usable from everyone everywhere.
This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Andr... more This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Android application, a web application and an online database. It motivates students to visit various geographic points of interest and answer site-related questions of multiple choice type. The android application used by the students, takes advantage of the navigation (GPS) and internet connectivity features of their smartphones. The web application is used by tutors, to create dynamic location-based educational games for their students. The database stores data such as site information and coordinates, questions and answers regarding the area of interest, as well as students' performance results. There are no geographical restrictions and no limits regarding the number of destinations, thus making the application usable from everyone everywhere.
This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Andr... more This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Android application, a web application and an online database. It motivates students to visit various geographic points of interest and answer site-related questions of multiple choice type. The android application used by the students, takes advantage of the navigation (GPS) and internet connectivity features of their smartphones. The web application is used by tutors, to create dynamic location-based educational games for their students. The database stores data such as site information and coordinates, questions and answers regarding the area of interest, as well as students' performance results. There are no geographical restrictions and no limits regarding the number of destinations, thus making the application usable from everyone everywhere.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers and students towards the su... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers and students towards the subject of geography, and whether it affects the students’ performance. The sample comprised 600 6th-grade primary school students from various areas of Greece, and their 33 teachers. The following findings were made: a) the largest part of the teachers and students shows a medium or poor attitude towards the subject of geography; b) teachers’ reeducation did not seem to improve either the attitude of teachers or the attitude and performance of their students; c) prior working experience of teachers did not appear to affect attitude, but it does affect performance of their students in geography; d) the teaching method (traditional or with the use of technologies) did not appear to differentiate the students’ attitude towards geography.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers and students towards the su... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers and students towards the subject of geography, and whether it affects the students’ performance. The sample comprised 600 6th-grade primary school students from various areas of Greece, and their 33 teachers. The following findings were made: a) the largest part of the teachers and students shows a medium or poor attitude towards the subject of geography; b) teachers’ reeducation did not seem to improve either the attitude of teachers or the attitude and performance of their students; c) prior working experience of teachers did not appear to affect attitude, but it does affect performance of their students in geography; d) the teaching method (traditional or with the use of technologies) did not appear to differentiate the students’ attitude towards geography.
This study aims to present an ICT-based teaching scenario, which was implemented in 21 students (... more This study aims to present an ICT-based teaching scenario, which was implemented in 21 students (10 boys and 11 girls) of the 7th grade of a Junior High School on Lesvos Island, Greece. Intervention was applied to the Geography course, and it lasted 8 hours. The main characteristic of this class was that one-third of the students were non-native Greek speaking. Teaching tools used were: simulations, online quiz, movie maker software, QGIS software and power point for students activities. To check the effectiveness of this intervention, tools were distributed to students through 2 (pre-and post) questionnaires that were anonymous, but they had a code to identify and compare the same students’ answers to pre-and postintervention. Main results showed that all students had better achievements after the intervention was completed, and the greatest difference laid in those students who were not native speakers of Greek. The students’ creations also indicated that they changed or completed...
This study aims to present an ICT-based teaching scenario, which was implemented in 21 students (... more This study aims to present an ICT-based teaching scenario, which was implemented in 21 students (10 boys and 11 girls) of the 7th grade of a Junior High School on Lesvos Island, Greece. Intervention was applied to the Geography course, and it lasted 8 hours. The main characteristic of this class was that one-third of the students were non-native Greek speaking. Teaching tools used were: simulations, online quiz, movie maker software, QGIS software and power point for students activities. To check the effectiveness of this intervention, tools were distributed to students through 2 (pre-and post) questionnaires that were anonymous, but they had a code to identify and compare the same students’ answers to pre-and postintervention. Main results showed that all students had better achievements after the intervention was completed, and the greatest difference laid in those students who were not native speakers of Greek. The students’ creations also indicated that they changed or completed...
This study focused on the analysis of Grade-12 (Senior) students' sociocultural constructivis... more This study focused on the analysis of Grade-12 (Senior) students' sociocultural constructivist interactions using Web 2.0 applications during a geographical research process. In the study methodology context, a transdisciplinary case study (TdCS) with ethnographic and research action data was designed, implemented and analyzed in real teaching conditions for this study. The goal of the research process was students to integrate into authentic activities that that relate to their experiences and create a learning community, developing cognitive geographic knowledge. The study reveals a need to: a) design and implement transdisciplinary actions to create more learning incentives, exchange ideas and collaborate, for the geographical science issues study, b) shape new ways of interacting and operating social structures in the context of geographical research process, c) promote the skills that students need in real life, as participatory interaction, interpersonal communication, spa...
This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Andr... more This article presents a geocaching educational system called RouteQuizer that consists of an Android application, a web application and an online database. It motivates students to visit various geographic points of interest and answer site-related questions of multiple choice type. The android application used by the students, takes advantage of the navigation (GPS) and internet connectivity features of their smartphones. The web application is used by tutors, to create dynamic location-based educational games for their students. The database stores data such as site information and coordinates, questions and answers regarding the area of interest, as well as students' performance results. There are no geographical restrictions and no limits regarding the number of destinations, thus making the application usable from everyone everywhere.
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