Developing learners’ analytical skills in geography lessons

Abstract

In the current system of geographical education, teaching often emphasizes rote memorization of facts, while students' analytical thinking and skills remain insufficiently developed. The purpose of this study is to identify the pedagogical potential for the purposeful formation of analytical skills through the curriculum content of Geography. The research methodology includes elements of theoretical, comparative, and systemic analysis, as well as statistical methods and pedagogical observation. The theoretical section provides a comparative analysis of works by domestic and foreign scholars, defining the structure and content of analytical skills and their role in developing students' cognitive competencies.The experimental work was conducted at school-gymnasium No. 28 in the Almaty region among 8th-grade students. During the pedagogical experiment, analytical tasks were used to evaluate students' abilities in map proficiency, geographical information analysis, data comparison, and the identification of cause-and-effect relationships. The results were processed using a paired t-test in SPSS. The difference was found to be statistically significant (t(25) = -4,675, p < 0,001). The research findings demonstrate that the purposeful formation of analytical skills is closely linked to the content of Geography and that such tasks enhance students' academic and cognitive engagement. The materials presented in this article can be utilized to improve methodological frameworks aimed at developing analytical skills within the general secondary education system.