THE MAP REASONING DEVELOPMENT OF PUPILS IN YEARS THREE, FIVE AND SEVEN AS REVEALED IN FREE RECALL SKETCH MAPS

This research was focussed on the map reasoning development of pupils in years three, five and seven as revealed in free recall sketch maps. This research also focussed on how ten map user factors affected this ability to draw free recall sketch maps. The study was based principally on the works of Piaget and Inhelder (1956) who asserted that one of the best ways of determining a child's level of development in spatial reasoning was to have a child draw-a-map. This exploratory investigation into pupil's map reasoning development was limited to pupils in one school. The population consisted of 196 pupils, who included fifty-seven from year three (mean age eight years four months), fifty-nine from year five (mean age ten years five months), and eighty from year seven (mean age twelve years six months). Pupils' ability to draw such maps was related to two dependent variables and ten independent variables.;The study found, in part one, that non-verbal I.Q., verbal I.Q., general ability, reading age and the Iowa Test of Basic Map Skills identified and predicted the level of development of pupil's map reasoning. Feldman's Map Test Reasoning Level and Feldman's Map Test Score provided inconsistent evidence as to their effect on the level of development of pupils' map reasoning. Socio-economic status, sex and age (within year levels) were not good indicators or predictors of the level of development of pupils' map reasoning.;The study found, in part two, that when pupils drew free recall sketch maps they found proportion the hardest map element to work with followed by arrangement, abstraction (redefined as cartographic language) and perspective (redefined as orthogonal view). Also, distancing, that is the separation between the map drawer and the area to be mapped affected the ability of elementary school pupils to draw a free recall sketch map. It was concluded that a free recall sketch map was a suitable device to aid identification and prediction of the level of map reasoning development of pupils in the elementary school.;The conclusions, implications and recommendations were consistent with the character of the study and were related to the population of year three, five and seven pupils. There were nineteen conclusions which were based on the fourteen major research questions that were postulated for the study. Additionally, there were six recommendations for further research, five recommendations for curriculum development and eight recommendations for the classroom teacher, all concerned with pupils' map reasoning development as revealed in free recall sketch maps.;The two dependent variables were free recall sketch maps of a common, familiar, meso sized area. The two areas were the pupils' schoolground and the local road intersection opposite the schoolground. A method of quantitative scoring of free recall sketch maps was deemed essential for the study in order to strengthen the objectivity of the research procedures. This method was centered on four elements of a map which were identified from the scholarly literature as arrangement, proportion, perspective (redefined as orthogonal view) and abstraction (redefined as cartographic language). Each of the four elements was scored by two independent judges. The scoring scheme involved six levels of map reasoning development postulated by Piaget and Inhelder. The data were subjected to univariate analysis of variance. The analysis of the data was carried out and presented in two parts: (1) the testing of null hypotheses associated with the dependent variables and the ten independent variables; and (2) the description, analysis and display of the free recall sketch maps.