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Abstract
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Abstract
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The present study aimed to examine the geography questions asked in higher education entrance exams in Turkey in terms of a number of variables. A qualitative design was adopted. The data comprised of 420 geography questions asked in higher education entrance exams between 2006 and 2020. Content analysis and chi-square tests were employed to analyse the data. The results showed that the ratio of geography questions in each exam was relatively low considering the total number of questions in the exam. In addition, the geography questions in the exams were mostly about “Natural Systems” and “Anthropic Systems” learning areas. Most geography questions were at the level of “factual” and “conceptual” knowledge in terms of the knowledge dimension within the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy and at the level of “understand” and “analyse” in terms of the cognitive processes dimension. A meaningful relationship was observed between kind of exam practices and distribution of geography questions across learning areas. The ratio of questions in the “Anthropic Systems” learning area in the Basic Proficiency Test (BPT) and Subject Area Proficiency Test (SAPT) was significantly higher than the ratio observed in the Student Selection Exam (SSE). And the ratio of questions in the “Natural Systems” learning area in the SSE was significantly higher than the ratio observed in the BPT and SAPT. There was not a significant relationship between kind of exam practices and the distribution of questions across levels of the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy.
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Keywords
- Geography questions asked in higher education entrance exams in Turkey were the sources of data in the present study. Criterion sampling strategy was adopted (Büyüköztürk et al., 2012; 90). As such, the higher education entrance exams that were published in the CSSP website were selected for analysis. In addition, 2006 was purposefully selected as the starting point to collect the data. The reason for that was to be able to observe the reflections of the first radical change (moving towards constructivism; MoNE, 2005) in the HSGC on the higher education entrance exams (more specifically the SSE, EHET& UPT, and BPT &SAPT). In the end, the sample consisted of 420 geography questions prepared by CSSP for higher education entrance exams between 2006 and 2020 (except 2014 and 2015). CSSP did not publish any questions for 2014 or 2015 iterations. Therefore, it was not possible to include those questions in the analysis.
- A number of strategies were employed in order to establish the validity and reliability of the study: 1) the processes in which the data were collated and analyzed were detailed; 2) exam booklets were examined and compared against other exam practices in higher education in order to check whether generalizability was possible; and 3) the data was analyzed by independent researchers in order to establish confirmability. The inter-rater agreement between the researchers was calculated using Miles and Huberman’s (1994) formula. The agreement in the present study for the distribution of questions across learning areas was calculated as 95 % [(400/ 420) X 100]; 95 % for the distribution of questions across levels of the cognitive processes domain [(401/420) X 100], and 92 % for the distribution of questions across levels of the knowledge domain [(387/420) X 100]. A sample question analysis. The distribution of a country’s population across farming, industry, and services sectors affect the national income in that country. Which of the following can be used to verify this judgment? (Analyze) I. Population density is high in areas where industrial institutions are located. II. The income generated from farming sector is less than the income generated in industry and services sectors. III. Services sector is related to both farming and industry sectors. A) Only I B) Only II C) Only III D) I and II E) II and III Source: 2010UPT, question:15 Determining the learning area(s)
- 2006 17 240 7,1
- 2007 17 240 7,1
- Total χ2 p SSE- (2006- 2009) dimension
- in the SSE between 2006 and 2009 almost tripled in the EHET & UPT tests which were administered between
- 2010 and 2017. However, the number of geography questions decreased again following the administration of
- BPT & SAPT tests in 2018 onwards. These findings indicated that student outcomes specified in the HSGC
- BPT & SAPT tests. Similarly, Sözen and Türkseven (2018) concluded that the decrease in the number of
- geography topics (Bijsterbosch, 2018). Likewise, the geography as a subject area was removed from the
- decrease the information load on students in assessment practices (Lee & Butt, 2014). A similar case was also
- Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment between 2019 and 2029 due to financial reasons
- (Solem & Stoltman, 2020). In this sense, unlike most studies indicating the importance of geography education
- in today’s world (Lane & Bourke, 2019), it has been observed that practices, which would have negative effects
- The study also investigated the distribution of the geography questions across learning areas, and the relationship between the distribution and kind of exam practices. It was observed that most of the questions in the SSE, EHET & UPT tests were in the Natural Systems learning area. Questions in the BPT & SAPT tests, on the other hand, were in the Natural Systems and Anthropic Systems. Additionally, a significant relationship between the distribution of questions across learning areas and kind of exam practices was observed. The ratio of questions in Anthropic Systems learning area within the BPT & SAPT tests was significantly higher than the ratio observed within the SSE test. And the ratio of questions in Natural Systems learning area within the SSE test was significantly higher than the ratio observed within the BPT & SAPT tests. The analysis of the ratios of the learning areas covered in HSGC provides an explanation to these results. The ratios of the learning outcomes in relation to Natural Systems and Anthropic Systems learning areas in the curriculum are 39 % and 30 % respectively. It is considered that the reason for why the ratio of the learning outcomes in the Natural Systems is higher than other learning areas is the result of the classic geography approach in Turkey. The classic geography approach considers the role of the geography discipline to be depicting the earth (Öztürk, 2012). Nevertheless, the BPT & SAPT exams administered in recent years (2017-2020) were found to include as many questions in the Anthropic Systems learning area as the Natural Systems learning area. These results can be linked to the revisions that have been made in HSGC in 2017. As a result of cultural, economic, environmental, and politic developments and aiming to raise more aware citizens, the curriculum was revised in a way to include a higher number of learning outcomes in the Anthropic Systems learning area (Demiralp, 2017).
- knowledge (Bijsterbosch, et al., 2017, Bijsterbosch, 2018; Şanlı, 2019). In terms of the cognitive processes
- other parts are different. In line with the findings of the present study, Kızılcaoğlu (2004) and Sönmez et al.,
- (2013) found that most geography questions asked in higher education entrance exams were at remember and
- understand levels. Ünlü (2013), on the other hand, reported that most of the questions asked in international
- geography exams were at analyze and evaluate levels. Similarly, Yüksel and Süzer (2019) who analyzed iGEO
- around 2,5 million students in 2020), thus, the questions types which can detail the processes students follow
- create (in relation to the cognitive processes dimension (Yüksel & Süzer, 2019). In fact, the CSSP decided to
- include open-ended questions to overcome this limitation and, in 2017, open-ended questions were trialed for
- the first time (CSSP, 2017). However, the inclusion of open-ended questions in higher education entrance
- 2019). The second factor is about the competency levels of the teachers charged with the preparation of the
- enough in preparing questions aiming to assess higher-order thinking skills (i.e. ; Çalışkan, 2011; Uymaz &
- Çalışkan, 2019; Şanlı, 2019). Considering the above discussions, even though revisions have been made to
- CSSP (2020). Centre for Student Selection and Placement. WEB Address:
- https://www.osym.gov.tr/TR,8832/hakkinda. html Öztürk, M. (2012). Geography Teachers’ Perceptions of Postmodern Geography. Education and Science, 37(166),
- 261-273. Semple, S., & Dawson, E. (2008). Geography in the International Baccalaureate. Journal of Geography, 107(4-5),
- 198-201. doi.org/10.1080/00221340802487317 Solem, , M., & Stoltman , J. (2020). The NAEP geography assessment: will it come back? Journal of Geography,
- 119(4), 136-139. doi.org/10.1080/00221341.2020.1773903 Sönmez, Ö. F., Koç, H., & Çiftçi, T. (2013). Analysis of geography questions asked in OSS, LYS and YGS exams
- 257-275. Sözen, E., & Türkseven, Ö. (2018). Evaluatıon of the possıble effects of the change ın geography questıon
- unıversıty entrance exams. International Journal of Leadership Training, 28(3), 1-12. Stoltman, J., Lidstone, T. & Kidman, G. (2014). Geography and international assessment: Opportunity or
- distraction. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 23(3), 193-196. Şanlı, C. (2019). Investigation of question types in high school geography coursebooks and their analysis in
- accordance with the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. Aegean Geographical Journal, 28 (2), 111-127. Tatlı, Ş. (2019). Estimation of open-ended questions, which are the measurement and evaluation tools in 9th grade
- Necmettın Erbakan. Konya. Uymaz, M., & Çalışkan, H. (2019). An ınvestigation on the teacher-made social studies course exam questions
- doi:10.24106/kefdergi.2637. Ünlü, M. (2013). Assessment and evaluation in relation to learning areas in geography education Özey, R.
- education (pp. 153-192). Ankara: Pegem Academy. Yıldırım, A. & Şimşek, H. (2000). Qualitative research methods in the social sciences, Ankara: Seckin Publishing. Yüksel, Ç., & Süzer, M. (2019). The content of International Geography Olympics (iGeo) and the comparison
