Spatial orientation and effectiveness of solving written tasks in the cycling exam

Prostorske predstave učencev se razvijajo počasi. Učenci v 4. razredu pri pouku družbe usmerjeno obravnavajo delo z zemljevidom, kar se nadaljuje v 5. razredu. Prav tako v 4. razredu že potekajo teoretični preizkusi prometnega znanja za kasnejši praktični kolesarski izpit, ki ju v šolah izvajajo v 4. ali 5. razredu. Teoretični del magistrskega dela zajema razlago pojmov prostorske predstave in kartografsko opismenjevanje učencev. Prav tako je opisan in razložen celoten potek kolesarskega izpita pri nas in v državah Nizozemska, Velika Britanija in Avstrija, izpostavljene pa so tudi značilnosti slikovnega gradiva v učnem gradivu za učence. V magistrskem delu smo si zastavili pet ciljev: (1) ugotoviti, kakšne prostorske predstave imajo o znanem okolju učenci 4. in 5. razredov, (2) ugotoviti, ali obstaja statistično pomembna povezava med prostorskimi predstavami učencev in uspešnostjo reševanja pisnih nalog na kolesarskem izpitu, (3) analizirati slikovno gradivo v pisnih nalogah kolesarskega izpita, (4) ugotoviti, ali obstaja statistično pomembna povezava med uspešnostjo reševanja pisnih nalog in različnimi vrstami slikovnega gradiva in (5) ugotoviti, ali obstaja statistično pomembna povezava med končnim uspehom učencev v preteklem šolskem letu pri predmetih spoznavanje okolja/družba in matematika ter uspešnostjo pri reševanju pisnih nalog na kolesarskem izpitu. V raziskavo je bilo vključenih 108 učencev 4. in 5. razreda izbrane osnovne šole z Dolenjske. Uporabili smo kavzalno neeksperimentalno metodo raziskovanja. Podatke smo zbrali s tehniko anketiranja, tehniko preverjanja znanja in analizo slikovnega gradiva. Rezultati raziskave so pokazali, da se med učenci 4. in 5. razreda ne pojavljajo razlike v njihovih prostorskih predstavah. Pri risanju zemljevidov se je izkazalo, da so jih v povprečju bolje risali petošolci kot četrtošolci. Vsi imajo največ težav z lego in razporeditvijo, razdaljami in velikostmi ter upoštevanjem drugih elementov zemljevida, kot so naslov, avtor, merilo, legenda itd., največ poudarka pa so dajali objektom na začetku in koncu poti. Z raziskavo smo dokazali, da prostorske predstave ne vplivajo na uspešnost učencev pri pisnih nalogah za teoretični del kolesarskega izpita. Pri tem smo ugotovili, da je bila večina učencev 4. in 5. razreda pri pisnih nalogah za teoretični del kolesarskega izpita neuspešnih. Prav tako ni povezanosti med uspešnostjo reševanja pisnih nalog in realnostjo slikovnega gradiva pri nalogah. Statistična povezanost se je pokazala med uspešnostjo učencev pri reševanju pisnih nalog in končnim uspehom v prejšnjem šolskem letu pri spoznavanju okolja/družbi in matematiki. Boljši kot je bil končni uspeh pri omenjenih predmetih, večja je bila uspešnost pri pisnih nalogah za kolesarski izpit.Pupils develop their spatial cognition skills gradually and slowly. They have guided work with maps in the 4th grade, which continues in the 5th grade. They also do theoretical part of bicycle license test in the 4th grade, preparing them for the practical part of the test in the 4th and 5th grade. The theoretical part of my master’s thesis deals with the explanation of the spatial cognition terminology and teaching directional skills. I also explained and described the procedure of bicycle license tests in Slovenia, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Austria, as well as characteristics of visual material in their study material. My master’s thesis was based on five goals: (1) to find out what are spatial cognition skills of pupils in the 4th and 5th grade, regarding their known surroundings, (2) to find out if there is any statistically significant correlation between spatial cognition skills and test results of the theoretical part of bicycle license test, (3) to analyze visual material in written tasks of the bicycle license test, (4) to find out if there is any statistically significant correlation between success at the test and different kinds of visual material, and (5) to find out if there is any statistically significant correlation between the final grade at Mathematics and Environmental Science and the success at written tasks of the bicycle license test. Our research included 108 pupils of a chosen elementary school in Dolenjska Region. We used the causal nonexperimental method of research. We gathered the data using interviews technique, tests technique and analyses of visual material. The results have shown that there are no differences between pupils in the 4th and 5th grade regarding their spatial cognition skills. Pupils in the 5th grade were better at map drawing. They all have most problems with positioning, distances, sizes and with considering other map elements, namely the title, the author, the scales, the legend etc. They gave most emphasis on the objects at the beginning and end of the way. Our research has proved that spatial cognition does not influence pupils’ success at the written theoretical part of bicycle license test. At the same time, the results have shown, that most of the 4th and 5th-grade pupils were unsuccessful at the test. There was no correlation between success at written tasks and the reality of visual material of that tasks. There was a statistically significant correlation between pupils’ success in written tasks and their final grade of the previous year at Environmental Science and Mathematics. The better their final grades were, the higher were the results of the bicycle license test