ÖZETGestalt Almanca bir kelime olup; biçim, şekil, form gibi anlamlara gelmektedir. Gestalt kuramı algısal örgütleme yasaları ile ilgilenirler. Şekil –zemin ilişkisi, yakınlık, benzerlik, tamamlama, devamlılık, basitlik yasaları, algısal örgütleme yasalarını oluşturur.“Gestalt kuramcılarına göre; algısal örgütleme yasaları, öğrenmeyi açıklamaya yardım etmektedir”(Bower ve Hilgard,1981;Senemoğlu,2010:242).Gestalt kuramının (algısal organizasyon) bireylerin harita okuryazarlık düzeyleri üzerinde etkisinin olup olmadığını belirlemek bu araştırmanın amacını oluşturmaktadır. Haritalarda algısal organizasyon üç aşamalıdır. Birinci aşama, şekil –zemin ilişkisi üzerine kuruludur. Haritalarda algısal organizasyonun ikinci aşamasını gestalt kuramının algısal örgütleme yasaları olan gruplandırma süreci (yakınlık, benzerlik, süreklilik/devamlılık, tamamlama ve basitlik) oluşturmaktadır. Haritalarda algısal organizasyonun son aşamasını ayırt etme ve değerlendirme süreçlerinden oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden öntest- sontest kontrol gruplu deney deseni ile yürütülmüştür. Bu araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak, yükseköğretim öğrencilerinin (Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmenliği 1. Sınıf Öğrencileri) harita okuma ve yorumlama beceri düzeylerini ölçmek amacıyla araştırmacı tarafından hazırlanan başarı testi kullanılmıştır. Başarı testinin KR20 güvenirlik katsayısı 0.70 bulunmuştur.Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmenliği Bölümünde okuyan 1. sınıf öğrencileri oluşturmaktadır. Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretmenliği 1. sınıf öğrencileri iki şubeden oluşmaktadır. Gruplardan biri deney diğeri kontrol grubu olarak seçkisiz yolla atanmıştır. Deney ve kontrol gruplarının denkliğini sağlamak için her iki gruba da öntest verilmiştir. Grupların öntest puanları ortalamaları arasındaki fark “t” testi ile test edilmiştir. [t(77)=.820; p>.05]. Bu bulgu deney işlem öncesinde grupların harita becerilerinin benzer bulunduğu şeklinde yorumlanabilir.  Üç hafta süren uygulamadan sonra; Gestalt yaklaşımının, öğretmen merkezli öğretim yöntemlerine göre öğrencilerin harita okuma ve yorumlama becerisine ait başarılarının artırmada daha etkili olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. ([F(1-85)= 50.349; p< .05)Anahtar Kelimeler: Harita, harita okuma ve yorumlama becerisi, gestalt kuramı, algısal organizasyonABSTRACTGestalt is a German word that means form or shape. The theory of Gestalt deals with the laws of perceptional organization. The laws of figure and background relations, proximity, similarity, completion, continuity are laws of perceptional organization. According to Gestalt theoreticians, “laws of perceptional organization help explain how people learn” (Bower ve Hilgard, 1981; Senemoğlu, 2010: 242). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the Gestalt Theory (perceptional organization) affects the level of map literacy skills. Perceptional organizations in maps is a three-phase process. The first phase deals with figure and background relations. The second phase of perceptional organization in map literacy is composed of the grouping process, which refers to the laws of perceptional organization in Gestalt theory (proximity, similarity, completion, continuity and simplicity). The last phase of perceptional organization in maps is composed of the processes of differentiation and evaluation.An experimental method with a treatment and control group is used in the study. As the main data collection tool in this study, an attainment test developed by the researcher to test the map literacy skills of higher education students (Freshmen at the Department of Social Sciences Education) was used. KR20 reliability coefficient of the test was found to be 0.70.The study sample is composed of the freshman students at the Department of Social Sciences Education at the Faculty of Education, Cumhuriyet University. These learners are composed two sections. One of the groups were randomly assigned as the treatment group, while the other one was assigned as the control group. A pre-test was given to both groups to test whether the learners performed equally before the instructional period. A t test was conducted to compare the mean pre-test scores of the groups, [t(77)=.820; p>.05]. This suggests that the groups’ mean scores before the instruction were similar. After the three-week instructional period, it was found that Gestalt approach was more effective in boosting learners’ map literacy skills in comparison with teacher centered instructional methods, [F(1-77)= 26.519; p< .05].Keywords: Maps, map reading and interpretation skills, Gestalt Theory, perceptional organization

Gestalt is a German word that means form or shape. The theory of Gestalt deals with the laws of perceptional organization. The laws of figure and background relations, proximity, similarity, completion, continuity are laws of perceptional organization. According to Gestalt theoreticians, “laws of perceptional organization help explain how people learn” (Bower ve Hilgard, 1981; Senemoğlu, 2010: 242). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the Gestalt Theory (perceptional organization) affects the level of map literacy skills. Perceptional organizations in maps is a three-phase process. The first phase deals with figure and background relations. The second phase of perceptional organization in map literacy is composed of the grouping process, which refers to the laws of perceptional organization in Gestalt theory (proximity, similarity, completion, continuity and simplicity). The last phase of perceptional organization in maps is composed of the processes of differentiation and evaluation. An experimental method with a treatment and control group is used in the study. As the main data collection tool in this study, an attainment test developed by the researcher to test the map literacy skills of higher education students (Freshmen at the Department of Social Sciences Education) was used. KR20 reliability coefficient of the test was found to be 0.70. The study sample is composed of the freshman students at the Department of Social Sciences Education at the Faculty of Education, Cumhuriyet University. These learners are composed two sections. One of the groups were randomly assigned as the treatment group, while the other one was assigned as the control group. A pre-test was given to both groups to test whether the learners performed equally before the instructional period. A t test was conducted to compare the mean pre-test scores of the groups, [t(77)=.820; p>.05]. This suggests that the groups’ mean scores before the instruction were similar. After the three-week instructional period, it was found that Gestalt approach was more effective in boosting learners’ map literacy skills in comparison with teacher centered instructional methods,  F(1-77)= 26.519; p .05  .