English abstract
This study's objective aimed at measuring the General diploma students' level in mastering the skills of understanding maps and their attitudes to the program of geographic information systems (GIS). To achieve the objective of the study, the researcher used two instruments (Map skill test, attitudes scale). The map skill test consisted of 42 questions distributed into four main skills: map reading, map analysis, map interpretation and map. The second instrument was attitudes scale to measure students attitudes toward GIS consisted of 15 items distributed into three domains. The validity of instruments was examined by panel of judges and the reliability was examined by applying them to 30 students and Chroubach Alpha was used. It was 0.856 · for the test and .0863 for the attitudes scale.
The results of the study revealed a low level of the general diploma students in mastering the map skill of understanding according to acceptance criteria in education which was 60%. The average percentage level reached (47.51). The results revealed significant differences. In skill of map understanding due to students gender in favor to female. The results shared that student, had positive attitude toward GIS and female had significant attitudes than males. The results also revealed positive students' mastering of the attitudes to the program of geographic information systems (GIS), which were overwhelmed. The study recommends the necessity for developing the skills of understanding for the general diploma students.
