Alfabetización en Geografía y mapas mentales. Los conocimientos mínimos entre los estudiantes universitarios de Educación Primaria

Abstract

As a reflection on the discontinuous and marginal role of geography in the Spanish education system, we examine the minimum level of geographical knowledge in students studying in the primary education degree program. To do this we use the mental maps of the Balearic Islands made by students in the second year of the primary education degree program at the University of the Balearic Islands as an instrument with which to calibrate these future teachers' geographical literacy. The test is inspired by the content, abilities, and competencies that appear in the new curriculum for social sciences in primary education, according to the LOMCE. Overall, students were unable to produce adequate maps, and they showed a lack of knowledge regarding the use of conventional cartographic language. Also, after analysing the maps, we concluded that areas where life experiences took place were given greater weight than areas that were learned about in an academic context.