The Factors and Mechanisms That Influence Geospatial Thinking: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

Geospatial thinking is crucial for understanding the spatial order of the world. The factors influencing geospatial thinking deserve attention in geography education. Utilizing correlation analysis, we found that general intelligence, geographic knowledge, and geographic learning interest had a significant influence on geospatial thinking. This article attempts to understand how these factors affect geospatial thinking by using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that they impacted geospatial thinking directly. In addition, general intelligence and geographic learning interest had an indirect impact on geospatial thinking.

Keywords:

• geospatial thinking
• influencing factors
• mechanism
• structural equation modeling
• mediating effect

Acknowledgments

The authors express heartfelt thanks to the students who volunteered to participate in this study and the teachers who helped this research. The authors are grateful to the experts in the consultation, especially Zhengyong Shang (Professor of human geography, Suzhou University of Science and Technology); Changwen Chen (Associate professor of geography curriculum and teaching theory, East China Normal University); Zhihua Cheng (Professor level senior teacher, Director of Geography Teaching Research Section of Shuren School of Yangzhou Middle School Education Group); Liuming Zhu (Special-grade teacher of geography, Principal of Huaiyin Middle School); Shui Li (Senior teacher of geography, Deputy director of Teaching and Research Office of Lianyungang Education Bureau); Lei Fan (Master of Education, Geography teacher of No.2 Middle School in Luzhou District, Shanxi Province); Yuhang Zhao (Postgraduate student majoring in geography education, East China Normal University).

Notes

1 We measure students' enthusiasm and consciousness for attention and exploration towards geographical topics.

2 We measure students' concentration and engagement in geographic learning activities, such as attending class, doing homework, and reviewing lesson.

3 We measure whether students' willingness to learn geography is acceptance or resistance.

4 We measure students' thirst for expanding geographic knowledge and broadening their horizons.

5 We measured whether the students had the opportunity to read maps and their previous experience using maps.

6 We measured students' intention to use maps and their preference for map types.

7 We measured whether the students could understand the geographic information conveyed in the news by imagining psychological maps and drawing pattern maps, as well as their ability to extract geographic information from maps.

Additional information

Funding

This research is funded by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Project of the Year 2019 Funding Project “Measurement, Development Mechanism, and Experimental Research of Key Competences Teaching Intention of Middle School Teachers” (approval number: 19YJA880042) and the “2020 Xing Fu Zhi Hua” Fund Pilot Project (Humanities and Social Sciences) at East China Normal University “Research on System Construction and Innovation Experiment of Subject Intelligent Education” (approval number: 2020ecnu-xfzh001).

Notes on contributors

Shumin Xie

Shumin Xie is a postgraduate of College of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. Her research focuses on geographic education and spatial thinking.

Xiaodong Zheng

Xiaodong Zheng is a professor level senior teacher of the Sixth High School of Changchun Automotive Industries Development Area, Changchun, Jilin, China. Her research interests include geographic education.

Yuyu Sun

Yuyu Sun is a postgraduate of College of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. Her research focuses on geographic education and spatial thinking.

Jingyi Wan

Jingyi Wan is a high school geography teacher of Baiyin No. 8 Middle School, Baiyin, Gansu, China. Her research interests include geographic education and spatial thinking.

Xiaoxu Lu

Xiaoxu Lu is an associate professor of College of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China. His research focuses on geography education, spatial thinking, human geography.