Volume 30, Issue 2-1, June 2026
GEOGRAPHIC LITERACY AND SPATIAL THINKING AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN SERBIA
Authors: Demir Šaćirović, Elvir Muslić, Fadil Novalić
Abstract: Geographic literacy and spatial thinking are essential competencies for teaching Nature and Society (Priroda i društvo) in Serbian primary education, yet the level of these competencies among primary school teachers remains largely unexplored. This cross-sectional survey study investigated self-assessed geographic competencies, spatial thinking practices, and geographic knowledge among 206 primary school teachers across five regions of Serbia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising three sections: a self-assessment scale on geographic competencies (8 items, α = .645), a spatial thinking practices scale (10 items, α = .416), and a geographic knowledge test (8 items). Analyses included descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. Teachers reported moderate levels of geographic competency (M = 3.66, SD = 0.54). Those who had completed geography courses during their university studies scored significantly higher on all three measures (p < .01). Spatial thinking practices differed significantly by teaching experience (F = 5.296, p = .002), with teachers having over 25 years of experience reporting the lowest levels. Only 25.0% of respondents reported regular use of geospatial tools such as Google Earth. The knowledge test revealed uneven per formance, with particularly low scores on altitude classification (17.0% correct) and map scale interpretation (56.5% correct). These results suggest that quantitative and classification-based geographic concepts may warrant greater attention in teacher preparation. However, the convenience sampling, overrepresentation of one region, and modest reliability of the spatial thinking scale limit the generalizability of the findings. Implications for teacher education and profes sional development are discussed.
Keywords: geographic literacy; spatial thinking, primary education; Nature and Society; Serbia; teacher competencies
Article info:
Received: March 6, 2026| Revised: April 27, 2026| Accepted: May 27, 2026