Pupils’ Achievements in the Geography of Croatia at External Evaluation Exams and their Perceptions of Geography as a Subject in Elementary School

Abstract

The paper analyses the achievements in the Geography of Croatia among 8th Grade Elementary School pupils, and the final grades at comprehensive schools and four-year vocational schools. The results of the external evaluation exams were compared through the two dimensional matrix: elementary school - secondary school, 2008 - 1988. At the end of primary education, the average level of pupils' achievements on the geographical position, natural-geographic and socio-economic characteristics of the Republic of Croatia was 49.1% and 47.9% at the end of the Secondary education. The realized level of achievements that was by 1.2% lower at the end of the Secondary education is not statistically significant but, in relation to the selected sample and the expected cumulative impact of learning and teaching, the result is too low. The paper analyses results for the comprehensive completely comparable test items and confirms the notion that there is no cumulative effect, and that no progress in the level of achievements is made by using the new teaching curriculum. The paper also presents the result of researches conducted in 1988, 2003 and 2008 on pupils' opinions on Geography as a subject in Elementary school.