Title: Self-efficacy and Performance of College Students on a Map Skills Survey

Author & Affiliation:

Gillian Acheson, PhD
Department of Geography
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Abstract:
This paper presents results of a study on undergraduate college students'
understanding of maps, their ability to use them, and their confidence in performing
these tasks. The map skills survey, developed by this researcher, was aligned with
map skills in the national Geography standards, Geography for Life, and originally
administered to 227 high school students in 3 states between 2005 and 2006. For
the present study, the survey was administered to 110 undergraduates at a
medium-sized public university. Generally college students were proficient in basic
mapping tasks but struggled with more complex ones. Overall performance on the
survey was correlated with confidence and with gender (males did better than
females). Results from the study, with a particular focus on self-efficacy and
performance, are discussed. The results may be useful to geography faculty when
thinking about their own students' proficiency at understanding and using maps
effectively.

AV Needs: Computer projector (if possible)