Slide 1: National Geographic - Roper
2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey
Conducted by RoperASW for the National Geographic Education Foundation
Slide 2: Methodology
• Survey of 18- to 24-year-olds in nine countries: Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the U.S. • 3,000 in-person, in-home interviews with a representative sample in each country • Additional sample of 25- to 34-year-olds in the U.S.
Slide 3: Overall Results
56 42 28 14 0 Sweden Germany Italy France Japan Great Britain Canada U.S. Mexico
Average # of correct answers out of a possible 56 correct
40 38 38 34 31 28
27
23
21
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 4: World Hotspots
Percentage of young adults naming Afghanistan as the base of the Taliban/al Qaeda
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
Sweden Great Britain Italy Germany Canada Japan France Mexico U.S.
84%
84%
82%
79%
75%
71%
70%
63%
58%
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 5: World Hotspots
Percentage of young U.S. adults correctly identifying Afghanistan on a world map
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
83%
Incorrect/ don't know Correct
17% Afghanistan
Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 6: Pop Culture
Percentage of young U.S. adults correctly identifying Afghanistan on a world map vs. knowing that last season’s “Survivor” island was in the South Pacific
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
83%
66%
Incorrect/ don't know Correct
17% Afghanistan Survivor
34%
Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 7: World Hotspots
Percentage of young adults correctly identifying ___ on a map of Asia/Middle East
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
Overall
U.S. 18-24
23%
14%
22%
12%
21%
13%
19%
13%
Israel
Afghanistan
Iran
Iraq
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 8: Importance of Geography Skills
Percentage of young Americans saying the skill is “not too important” in today’s world
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
1988
2002
30% 4%
11%
39%
12%
Speak a foreign language
24%
Read a map
Know where countries in the news are located
Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 9: Country Location Skills
• Still, over 80% of young adults worldwide say it is “absolutely necessary” or “important” to: – Be able to read maps – Know where countries in the news are located …but performance on these skills is poor.
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 10: Country Location Skills
Average # of countries correctly identified on maps of: •The world (out of 16 countries) •Europe (out of 12 countries) •Middle East/Asia (out of 11 countries)
Overall
12 8 4 0
16
U.S. 18-24
10.1 7.3 5.0 2.5 4.7 3.1
World
Europe
ME/Asia
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 11: Country Location Skills
Percentage of young adults correctly identifying ___ on a world map
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
90% 89%
Overall
70% 71% 69%
U.S. 18-24
68% 42% 35% 73%
31%
USA
Pacific Ocean
Japan
France
UK
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 12: Country Location Skills
Percentage of young Americans who simply said “I don’t know,” when asked to find ___ on a world map
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
49%
46%
46%
45%
42%
36% 25% 15%
Afghanistan
Israel
Sweden
Egypt
U.K.
France
Russia
Pacific Ocean
Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 13: State Location Skills
Percentage of young Americans correctly identifying ___ on a map of the United States
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
Calif. Texas N.Y. Penn. Ill. Mich. Ohio Mass. N.J. Missouri
89%
89%
51%
49%
44%
38%
35%
31%
30%
30%
Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 14: Nuclear Weapons
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
Germany Sweden Japan France Italy Great Britain U.S. Canada Mexico
Percentage of young adults correctly identifying four countries acknowledging have nuclear weapons
36%
36%
30%
24%
23%
23%
19%
17% 4%
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 15: U.S. Population
Percentage of young adults correctly identifying...
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
Sweden Japan Germany France Italy Great Britain Canada Mexico U.S.
95%
Own country's population
84% 75% 68% 64%
U.S. population
55% 45% 40% 43% 34%
58% 37%
56% 47% 44% 35% 25%
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Slide 16: U.S. Population
Percentage of young Americans believing the U.S. population falls within the following ranges
100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%
10 million to 50 million 150 million to 350 million 500 million to 750 million 1 billion to 2 billion Don't Know
Nearly one-third of U.S. young adults think the U.S. population is between 1billion and 2 billion, or nearly one-third of the total world population!
25% 6% 6% 31% 28% 25%
U.S. 18-24
U.S. 25-34
30% 29% 12% 10%
Sample: U.S. respondents
Slide 17: Life-Affecting Issues
• Young adults tend to perform better on questions that directly affect their lives. U.S. young adults score well on:
-Oil supply -AIDS -El Niño
Slide 18: Geography Education
• Young U.S. adults who reported taking a geography course in school performed better on the quiz. • 55% report having taken geography courses (up from 30% in 1988).
Slide 19: Factors Influencing Performance
Factors that seem to influence performance: – Level of education – International travel and language skills – Internet usage – Media usage
