Teachers' Perspectives on Map-Making in Geography Lessons.

This article investigates lower-secondary geography teachers’ perspectives and practices regarding map-making in their lessons, based on a questionnaire completed by 253 teachers in Czechia. It finds that while most teachers include map-making activities occasionally, these predominantly involve less complex tasks such as marking features on outline (blank) maps, which many do not consider true map-making. Pupils mainly create maps manually, with limited use of digital tools, due in part to time constraints and insufficient software resources. Teachers cite skill development—especially spatial orientation and imagination—and knowledge reinforcement as primary reasons for incorporating map-making, but also identify obstacles including limited lesson time and varying pupil abilities. The study highlights a gap between the educational potential of map-making and its current implementation, suggesting further research across educational levels and contexts to enhance geography education.