English abstract
The aim of this study is to evaluate the degree of proficiency in map reading as exhibited by Geography teachers at the secondary school in Sultanate of Oman. The teacher who comprised 43 questions covering three key skills prepared a multiple choice answer test:
1. Map Reading Skill which is divided into 5 sub-skills as follows: Understanding the purpose of the map, Identifying locations, measuring bearing, using map legend and using map scale skills.
2. Map Analysis Skill which includes 3 sub-skills as follows: Interpreting the distribution of geographical phenomena, phenomena interrelations and interactions and holding comparisons, skills
3. Map Interpretation Skill, which comprises the skill of map interpretation. The study was carried on a sample of 93 teachers (both males and females) at the General Directorate of Education in North Albatna Region. The following results were concluded:
1. Identifying a list of skills that should be acquired by the secondry schools Geography teachers.
2. The study also revealed that the scores achieved by teachers in the sample were below 80% ( the level of competency) in all skills except understanding the purpose of the map and the interpretaion of phenomena distribution skills.
3. No difference of statistical significance at ( a = 0.05 ) exist in the sample that could be attributed to differences in sex or work experience.
The study had also issued several recommendation these include: Revision of the pre-service training programs in the geographical skills undertaking by the Geography teachers, in-service training should include map reading skills, building of specialized map reading units for each class, teachers should be provided with map reading guides, and the resources necessary for acquiring map reading skills should be facilitated.
