Middle School Students' Characteristics of Spatial Ability in Earth Science Activity using Orienteering

The purpose of this study is to analyze students' learning characteristics regarding spatial ability, orienteering ability and earth science content learning ability and their relationship through development and application of earth science activities using orienteering. The programme aims to improve students' spatial ability using orienteering activity which requires spatial ability. Topics in the programme included map, compass, contour, movement of celestial, and constellation application. Students were to orienteer in the field using the method they learned in class. This programme was applied to five 7th graders. The results are, first, students who have positive attitude toward science and do well at school tended to perceive their orienteering ability high. Second, all parts of spatial ability, spatial visualization, spatial orientation, spatial relation were used during orienteering, especially spatial visualization and spatial orientation. The relationship between spatial ability, orienteering ability, and earth science content learning abilities was not clear. However, orienteering ability and earth science content learning ability were in similar tendency.