Content and principles in creating school maps

Cilj doktorske disertacije je podrobneje preučiti pomen šolskih zemljevidov v izobraževalnem procesu in nadgraditi ugotovitve tujih in domačih strokovnjakov z novimi spoznanji. Na osnovi opravljenih raziskav učbenik ostaja prevladujoč način posredovanja kartografskih vsebin v izobraževalnem procesu, zato je pozornost usmerjena predvsem na zemljevide v učbenikih. Sklepna teza izhaja iz analize vsebin obstoječih učnih načrtov v Sloveniji in njihove primerjave z nekaterimi kurikuli v drugih evropskih državah, Kanadi in Avstraliji. Spoznanja temeljijo tudi na obsežni analizi kartografskih znanj slovenskih osnovnošolcev in dijakov, želja učiteljev in izkušenj urednikov, ki vključujejo kartografsko gradivo v učbenike. Te analize so bile opravljene z metodo anketiranja in intervjuvanja. Rezultati so pokazali, da slovenski učni načrti v primerjavi s tujimi zagotavljajo obsežne in temeljite kartografske vsebine, zlasti od druge triade osnovnih šol dalje, kljub temu pa se pri učencih pokažejo vrzeli v nekaterih segmentih kartografskih znanj o Sloveniji. Za raziskavo vzrokov je bil opravljen pregled celotnega kartografskega komunikacijskega sistema od kartografa, ki sporočila kodira, do spoznavnih zemljevidov, ki so rezultat uporabnikovega miselnega dekodiranja sporočil, ki jih zemljevid prinaša. Namen raziskave je dopolnitev kartografskih oblikovalskih načel, ki bodo izhodišče za pripravo didaktično čim bolj dovršenih šolskih zemljevidov v prihodnje in za nadaljnji razvoj šolske kartografije.This doctoral dissertation studies the significance of school maps in education in detail and complements findings by experts from Slovenia and abroad with new insights. Based on the studies conducted, textbooks remain the predominant method for presenting cartographic material in the educational system, and therefore the main focus is on the maps used in textbooks. The concluding thesis proceeds from an analysis of Slovenian curricula and their comparison with selected curricula in other European countries, Canada, and Australia. The findings are also based on an extensive analysis of the cartographic knowledge of Slovenian primary-school and secondary-school students, teachers’ preferences, and the experience of the editors that incorporate cartographic material into textbooks. These analyses were carried out using a survey and interviews. The results showed that, compared to the curricula in other countries, the Slovenian curricula provide extensive and thorough cartographic material, especially from the fourth grade onwards. Nonetheless, the students show gaps in certain segments of cartographic knowledge of Slovenia. In order to study the causes for this, the entire cartographic communication system was examined—from the cartographers that encode the messages, to cognitive maps, which are the result of users’ mental decoding of messages provided by the map. The study adds to the cartographic design principles that will serve as a starting point for preparing the best possible school maps for teaching in the future and for further development of school cartography