The use of spatial technologies in secondary schools ...

Demirci, A. (2013). The use of spatial technologies in secondary schools in Turkey: Current applications, prospects and recommendations for the future. The proceedings of the 19th International Seminar on Sea Names: Sea, Sea Names and Mediterranean Peace içinde (s. 181-192), Seoul: The Society for East Sea.

The use of spatial technologies in secondary schools in Turkey: Current applications, prospects and recommendations for the future Ali DEMİRCİ*

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The use of spatial technologies started officially in Turkish secondary schools in 2005 when the new geography curriculum recommended that teachers should use GIS in their lessons. Although it was a recommendation, this inclusion was enough to make many teachers, educators, and researchers curious about teaching with GIS. Many different steps have been taken since then to make GIS a common and effective teaching and learning tool for schools. Despite available GIS resources such as GIS software, digital data, ready-to-use materials for teaching with GIS, and an increasing number of in-service teacher training programs, only a small number of geography teachers are using GIS in their lessons in today's Turkish secondary schools. This paper very briefly outlines what has been done so far to use spatial technologies, particularly GIS, in secondary schools in Turkey with some examples, prospects, and recommendations for the future.

Introduction One of the recent studies in Turkey (Tuna et al. 2012) highlighted inadequacy in Turkish society’s map skills, including locating countries on maps. Three-hundred people participated in this study in different districts of Istanbul and 20% of them could not locate Turkey on the map. As the same study indicated, 34% of the participants could not locate Greece, while 43% and 91% could not show Syria and Armenia on the map respectively. These countries are Turkey’s neighbors, so the lack of knowledge about the location of countries deteriorates in general when we consider remote countries such as Germany, the US, and Chile, with 72%, 49%, and 78% of participants unable to locate them on the map respectively. Among many reasons, the lack of interest in using spatial technologies, especially in primary and secondary education, is the

* Professor, Department of Geography, Fatih University, Istanbul, Turkey

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main one contributing to this negative picture in Turkey. Spatial technologies have long been used in many countries such as the US and the UK to improve the quality of teaching in secondary schools. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were integrated into the secondary school geography curriculum in the UK in 1988 (Goodchild and Palladino 1995). GIS was recognized as a useful tool for encouraging an inquiry based and student centered learning environment in schools with many teaching and learning benefits towards the end of the 1990s (White and Simms 1993; Meyer et al. 1999; Lemberg and Stoltman 2001). Due to its versatile education benefits, GIS started to be used in many other countries such as China, India, Uganda, Germany, Chile, South Africa for teaching different subjects such as geography, environmental studies, science, social sciences, biology, and mathematics (Broda and Baxter 2003; Kerski 2003; Wigglesworth 2003; Bednarz 2004; Bednarz and Schee 2006; Demirci 2008; Rod et al. 2010; Hagevik 2011; Lateh and Muniandy 2011, Milson et al. 2012). As indicated in a recently published book (Milson et al. 2012) with case studies of using GIS in secondary schools from 33 countries, GIS has already become an effective tool for teaching and learning in many countries from six continents and its use has been spreading rapidly to other countries. The technologies and tools which are used to produce, collect, store, manipulate, present, and analyze geographic (location based) information can be considered as spatial technologies. Although there is a very strong emphasis on GIS, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and Remote Sensing (RS), spatial technologies include many other systems and tools such as Google Earth, Web-based map and GIS systems, and many different location based services available from the Internet. Thanks to the advancements in computer science and the Internet, teachers and students are able to use many different location based technologies and systems in their schools around the world. Some examples of the use of spatial technologies for education from around the world are as follows: ⦁Students used GIS in their social studies class in Japan to map suspicious persons around their school (Ida and Yuda 2012). ⦁Students in Canada used GIS in a two day long field trip in the Mount Tolmie Park in British Columbia to map and analyze native and invasive flora (Huynh et al. 2012). ⦁Students are learning water quality from an online WebGIS platform called BISEL 182

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(Biotic Index at Secondary Education Level) in Hungary (Borián 2012). ⦁Students learn the basics of GPS through treasure hunting games in Australia (Kinniburgh 2012). ⦁Students are using a “Cellular Phone GIS” system to collect, store and analyze data in Japan (Ida and Yuda 2012). Examples of using spatial technologies in secondary education have been increasing and diversifying around the world. Turkey is among the countries where different steps have been taken, especially since the early 2000s, to make GIS a common educational tool for secondary schools. The use and status of GIS in Turkey’s secondary schools was addressed in detail in many other studies before (Demirci 2008; 2009; 2011; 2012; 2013). This paper outlines very briefly what has been done so far to use spatial technologies, particularly GIS, in secondary schools in Turkey with some examples, prospects, and recommendations for the future.

The use of spatial technologies in schools The history of using GIS in secondary education started in the early 2000s in Turkey. The first GIS training program for teachers was organized in 2004, but the most significant step was taken in 2005 when the secondary school geography curriculum was changed completely, with a focus on standard based and student centered education. The new curriculum did not include GIS as a standard, but addressed the importance of GIS for geography education very strongly and recommended that teachers should utilize it for teaching geography in grades 9 to 12. The new program states that “teachers should introduce GIS into the classroom depending on the availability of adequate hardware and software in their particular schools” (Karabağ 2005). This important development made GIS a very interesting subject for geography teachers and researchers, who had almost no idea about what GIS was and how it would be used in education. Many different steps started to be taken soon after GIS was included in the national secondary school geography curriculum to understand and utilize it in secondary schools across Turkey. Results from academic studies focusing on teaching with GIS appeared in Turkish education journals in the second half of the 2000s. For example, the Marmara Geographical Review, launched in 1998, is one of the most important Turkish 183

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journals publishing geography education articles. The first article about teaching with GIS appeared in the Marmara Geographical Review in 2006. Post-graduate studies with a focus on teaching with GIS also started at almost the same time in Turkish universities, with the first Master’s Thesis and PhD dissertation completed in 2004 and 2007 respectively. The number of articles published in Turkish journals and post-graduate studies conducted at Turkish institutes have increased since then. Nine articles related to teaching with GIS have been published in the Marmara Geographical Review since 2006, and the number of Master’s theses and PhD dissertations completed prior to 2012 at Turkish universities with GIS in their titles is nine and five respectively (YÖK Tez Merkezi 2013). While more and more academic studies focused on teaching with GIS, various steps were also taken to equip teachers with the knowledge, skills, and materials needed for using GIS in their lessons. A “GIS for teachers” book was published in 2008 to provide teachers with lesson plans, digital data, and GIS software (Demirci 2008b). Another important step for increasing the use of GIS in secondary schools was a project conducted between 2009 and 2011. Nine different GIS-based projects were carried out in three public high schools in Istanbul, and the results of the projects was published as a book by Esri Turkey in 2012 to provide teachers with information and good examples for similar projects in their lessons (Demirci et al. 2012; Demirci et al. 2013). Books and other ready-to-use materials were not sufficient for utilizing GIS effectively in Turkish secondary schools. Some other steps needed to be taken, such as organizing teacher training programs. The number of teacher training programs has increased, especially since 2010, with two or three programs organized annually by the Ministry of National Education and universities. The programs, which last for about a week or ten days, are designed to provide teachers with practical information and skills, along with GIS software and ready-to-use materials to enable them to use GIS in their lessons. Every year about 150 and 200 teachers benefit from these programs, which are organized at different times and locations across Turkey. A training program organized in July 2013 focused on faculty members who educate prospective geography teachers. Twenty faculty members received an eight day long training program supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey at Fatih University in Istanbul (Figure 1). GIS is not the only spatial technology used for teaching and learning in schools. As seen in many other countries, different technologies such as GPS, Google Earth, and 184

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other location based services available on the Internet are also used in secondary school geography lessons in Turkey. However, with all the previously mentioned developments, the use of spatial technologies in secon-

Figure 1. Faculty members from different geography departments across Turkey at a GIS training program organized at Fatih University in Istanbul.

dary schools is not satisfactory in Turkey. Different studies have been conducted in Turkey to understand the use of spatial technologies in secondary education. Demirci et al. (2007) carried out a survey on 46 geography teachers from 36 public high schools across Turkey and found that none of the teachers used GIS in their lessons. In another study conducted two years later, Demirci (2008c) surveyed 84 geography teachers from 45 private high schools located in 30 provinces of Turkey and found that 46% of the teachers utilized Google Earth in their lessons; however, only 8% of them used GIS for education in general once per semester. In a further study conducted in 2011 (Demirci 2013), 92 geography teachers from 63 provinces of Turkey were surveyed and it was found that 72% of the teachers utilized Google Earth for different purposes in their daily life; however, only 26% of them used it for their lessons. Although the number of teachers with GIS knowledge and skills are increasing year by year, especially with the in-service teacher training programs, only a small number of teachers use GIS in their lessons regularly due to the fact that using GIS in education is far from being considered a culture rather than just the utilization of a smart technology in the classroom. It may be difficult to give an exact number of teachers who use GIS in their lessons due to the lack of a nationwide survey; however, it would not be difficult to estimate that only 1-2% of secondary school geography teachers in Turkey use GIS regularly in their lessons. This situation may change very rapidly and GIS may become a common technology used in many more Turkish schools, but only if necessary steps are taken by state departments, mainly the Ministry of National Education. 185

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Prospects for using spatial technologies in secondary education It is not difficult to say that spatial technologies are going to be used more efficiently in Turkish schools in the future in parallel with all the developments in science, technology and education in the world. Many developments can be given as reasons, some of with are listed below: a. The interest in spatial technologies in various sectors and state departments across Turkey has been growing very fast. The establishment of the General Directorate of GIS in the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in 2011 is just one example (http://www.csb.gov.tr/gm/cbs). b. The use of spatial technologies is becoming more widespread in society. Students at schools are already using some of these technologies in their life, especially through smartphones with Internet connection and GPS units. c. Education is becoming more student centered and inquiry based in classrooms, where students are learning by doing. GIS and other spatial technologies support these approaches. d. More and more national and international projects are being conducted on utilizing spatial technologies for education. The results of these projects are likely to promote the use of spatial technologies in education. e. Spatial technologies are starting to find better places in secondary school curriculums. f. In-service teacher training programs are becoming more professional, with increasing numbers and quality. More and more teachers are becoming interested in learning these technologies. g. The state invests huge capital to provide all the classrooms in primary and secondary schools across Turkey with basic Information Communication Technologies (ICT). The Fatih Project aims at providing all classrooms in primary and secondary schools with whiteboards, along with high-speed Internet connection and many Web-based educational services within a few years. All primary and secondary school students will be given a free tablet PC in order to utilize this system more effectively with this project. The Fatih Project is likely to increase the use of spatial technologies, especially location based services available from the Internet such as Google Earth and Online GIS platforms in classrooms. 186

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h. The number of researchers with a specific interest in teaching with GIS and other spatial technologies has been increasing. The majority of academic studies are mainly conducted in two different areas; one is in secondary school geography education, the other is in primary school social science education. Each new academic study is going to promote the use of spatial technologies in education.

Conclusion: Challenges and recommendations for the future Different challenges hinder the rapid and efficient use of spatial technologies in secondary schools across Turkey. The author of this paper has outlined these challenges in his previous studies. In this paper, the most important challenges were outlined under two subtitles: (1) teacher centered challenges and (2) education and school system related obstacles. Some recommendations were also given for overcoming these challenges.

Teacher centered challenges The most important challenge prior to utilizing spatial technologies in education is related to teachers. Five to ten years ago, teachers did not have enough resources to learn about GIS and use it in their lessons. However, the situation has changed completely in today’s Turkey. Now a teacher who wants to use GIS in his/her lessons can obtain GIS software, digital data, documents describing how to use GIS for education, GIS courses, and even some ready-to-use education materials for GIS without much effort or expenditure. However, only a small number of enthusiastic teachers are using GIS and other spatial technologies such as Google Earth in Turkey. This is due to the fact that teachers lack not only the necessary knowledge and skills about GIS, but also the motivation and desire to learn and use it in their lessons. The following recommendations should be considered in order to avoid such problems: a. A nationwide in-service teacher training program should be organized to equip all teachers with sufficient GIS knowledge, skills, and resources. At present, only a small number of teachers benefit from the training programs organized each year. 187

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With about ten thousand geography teachers in secondary schools, this does not seem satisfactory. b. Taking some courses should be compulsory every year for in-service teachers. The use of GIS and other spatial technologies should be included in these courses. c. Teachers should be encouraged with rewards for using spatial technologies in their lessons. The organization of a national GIS project competition may be helpful to encourage not only teachers but also students. d. Using GIS and other spatial technologies should become a culture in the classroom. Teachers should always be reminded that spatial technologies are an inseparable part of education in the 21st century classroom. e. Spatial technologies should be given more importance at universities where prospective teachers are educated.

Education and school system related obstacles The education system in Turkey has undergone an enormous change in the last 10 years. The changes to the national curriculum in 2005 were designed to encourage more constructivist approaches and methods to be used in classrooms, such as problem based, inquiry based, and student centered education strategies. It is not easy to notice the benefits to the education system so soon after radical changes like this took place in Turkey. It has been eight years since the development of the new secondary school geography curriculum; however, the majority of geography teachers are still struggling to adapt to this new system. They usually use the traditional methods, which consist of using blackboards, textbooks, atlases, and PowerPoint presentations. This situation constitutes an obstacle to the use of spatial technologies in education. The new secondary school geography curriculum only recommends GIS as an important tool, which is not sufficient for motivating or even forcing teachers to use GIS in their lessons. The standard tests which are used to move students to the next educational level are big obstacles preventing teachers and students from spending time on something like GIS and other spatial technologies, as they are not covered in the exams. The school managers are also affected by this situation because they want to increase the average score of their school from such exams and do not support other activities, including the 188

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ones regarding GIS. The following recommendations should be considered in order to avoid such problems in educational and school systems: a. Spatial technologies should be integrated into primary and secondary school curriculums with life science and social science courses in primary education and geography courses in secondary education. Recommending GIS to teachers is not enough, so using GIS and other spatial technologies should be included in the curriculums as standard. Only then we can ensure that teachers and students are going to spend at least a few hours per year understanding how these technologies can change life in their lessons. b. The performances of students should not only be based on standard test scores. Teachers and students should be encouraged to work on projects requiring students to use GIS and other spatial technologies to gain important knowledge, skills, and experiences. c. Aside from teachers and students, decision makers working in the Ministry of National Education, General Directorates of National Education at provincial and district levels, and all school managers should be informed about the importance and benefits of spatial technologies in education. d. Teachers should be provided with more examples of using spatial technologies with different methods. Web-based GIS systems should be available for teachers. Spatial technologies have already become a part of our daily life. Whether a teacher accepts it or not, the majority of the students utilize these technologies through their smartphones and the Internet. Using these technologies to improve the quality of learning and teaching is the most important topic today. It seems likely that spatial technologies will be used more efficiently and commonly in Turkey in the future; however, whether this will be achieved sooner or later depends on how much support will be given, especially from related governmental institutions such as the Ministry of National Education.

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