An intervention study: teaching the comparison method to enhance secondary students’ comparison competency

Figures & data

Figure 1. Competency model for comparison in geography education (further explained and detailed in Simon & Budke, 2020, p. 5). Own elaboration.

Table 1. Comparison competency assessment: list of categories to measure comparison ­competency (Simon & Budke, 2020, p. 5, see table 1). Own elaboration.

Categories to measure comparison competency	Possible points
Elements of a comparison (units and variables) are set in relation to each other in order to carry out a comparison	0 or 1
The question is implicitly or explicitly chosen	0 or 1 (implicitly) or 2 (explicitly)
Variables are implicitly or explicitly chosen	0 or 1 (implicitly) or 2 (explicitly)
Units are implicitly or explicitly chosen	0 or 1 (implicitly) or 2 (explicitly)
Material is implicitly or explicitly chosen	0 or 1 (implicitly) or 2 (explicitly)
The result of the comparison is justified argumentatively	0 or 1
The argumentative justification for the results of the comparison is successful	0 or 1
The chosen question is justified argumentatively	0 or 1
The argumentative justification for the choice of the question is successful	0 or 1
Chosen units are justified argumentatively	0 or 1
The argumentative justification for the choice of the units is successful	0 or 1
Chosen variables are justified argumentatively	0 or 1
The argumentative justification for the choice of the variables is successful	0 or 1
Chosen material is justified argumentatively	0 or 1
The argumentative justification for the choice of the material is successful	0 or 1
A result of the comparison is provided	0 or 1
Comparison is made with more than 1 variable	0 or 1
Comparison is made with more than 2 units	0 or 1
Variables are weighted	0 or 1
Underlying geographical concepts are reflected with the weighting of variables	0 or 1
Comparison is used to juxtapose or rank units along the variables	0 or 1
Comparison is used to test a rule/model or show change	0 or 2
Comparison is used to question a rule/model or define a process	0 or 3
Comparison is used to formulate a rule/model or highlight the particularity of examples	0 or 4
TOTAL	Max. 28 points

Figure 2. Overview of the intervention study and different analyses. Own elaboration.

Figure 3. Comparison steps as provided to students during the intervention. Translated from German. Own elaboration.

Table 2. Assessment tool to evaluate subtasks corresponding to comparison steps (based on Figure 1). Own elaboration.

Comparison steps and tasks	Possible points
Step 1: formulate a question	0 or 1
Step 2: determine comparison units	0 or 1
Step 3: determine comparison variables and material used	0 or 1
Step 4: juxtapose comparison units according to comparison variables	0 or 1
Step 5: weigh comparison variables and explain results	0 or 1
Step 6: formulate an answer to the question	0 or 1
Transversal task: justify and argue on each step of the comparison process (choice of units, variables, material and justification of results)	0 - 4

Figure 4. Results obtained in the pre-test by both the experimental and the control group in the different dimensions of comparison competency. The higher the level, the higher the competency. Own elaboration.

Table 3. Descriptive statistics of results from both groups in the pre- and post-test. Own elaboration.

	Experimental group (N = 44)			Control group (N = 39)
	Mean	% of total score	Standard deviation	Mean	% of total score	Standard deviation
Pre-test	10.05	35.89%	2.965	11.51	41.11%	2.427
Post-test	12.68	45.28%	3.916	10.03	35.82%	2.915
Net difference ((post-test) – (pre-test))	2.64	9.43%		−1.49	−5.32%

Figure 5. Results obtained by the experimental group in the pre- and post-tests in the different dimensions of comparison competency. The higher the level, the higher the competency. Own elaboration.

Simon, M., & Budke, A. (2020). How geography textbook tasks promote comparison competency—An international analysis. Sustainability, 12(20), 8344. Article 20.

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