Comparative study on gender and spatial thinking in the training of Geography teachers: analysis between academics from UERJ and UFT

Abstract

This study is part of collaborative research carried out in a network between five Brazilian universities. The objective was to investigate how undergraduate Geography courses are influencing the development of students' spatial thinking, aiming to improve their geographic interpretation throughout their initial training. The research falls within the field of Spatial Thinking applied to Geographic Education. This specific study analyzes data from incoming and graduating students at the State University of Rio de Janeiro and the Federal University of Tocantins. Data collection was carried out using the Spatial Thinking Aptitude Test (STAT), which assesses spatial thinking related to representations of space, mainly cartographic, and geographic themes. The results were compared between the groups of incoming and graduating students, also taking into account the gender of the participants, with the aim of identifying possible significant differences between the two groups.