The useability level of maps used in the unit named ?the neighbours of our country and the Turkish world? for social studies for 7th grade

In this study, the useability level of maps used in the unit named ?The Neighbours of Our Country and The Turkısh World? for Social Studies for 7th grade students was determined according to students and teachers? views and answers to the questions.The universe of the study is the social studies teachers working in government schools of Ministry of Education (999 persons) and then 8th grade students being educated in the same schools (72 771 pupils). The schools the study handled are in Ankara and Kastamonu. 32 elemantary school chosen random sample among the schools of Ministry of Education active in 2006-2007 and the social studies teachers (222 person) working in elemantary schools of Ministry of Education form the sample of this study. The 825 students taking part in the study are 8th grade students and one class is chosen from each school.A linkert survey is prepared for teachers by using the aims and behaviors of the unit ?The Neighbours of Our Contry and Turkısh World? in 7th grade Social Studies curriculum. Personal information of the teachers is taken in the survey given to them. For students, the survey of Social Studies of 8th Grade and an accivement test are prepared. With the aim of determining the useability level of maps used in the unit named ?The Neighbours of Our Contry and Turkısh World?, the 7 grade Social Studies books of 2006-2007 are used for preparing the questions of this accivement test the behaviors maps are drawn for each question in the test. These maps are suitable for the subject, the level of students and the contents of the questions.The date gathered via survey is evaluated with SPSS 11.5 program. The answers given in student-teacher surveys are turned into frequency distribution charts, and percentage distribution, mean, and standart deviation techniques are used.The results of the study show that the maps in the unit of The Neighbours of Our Contry and Turkısh World in the 7th grade Social Studies curriculum, the cognitive level of students and the principle of map drawing. This study shows that there is no understanding and model for map using. At the end of the study, in the light of the problems determined, new suggestions are made by the researcher.