Cartography and cognitive neuroscience: using eye-tracking to investigate how 9 and 10 year old students read thematic maps

The importance of understanding maps is highlighted so that we are able to analyze, question, criticize, and act in the space in which we live. Aware of this, in an exploratory and innovative way, this research aimed to verify the visuo-exploratory behavior of 9 and 10 year old students when reading and interpreting thematic maps. We also investigated possible differences between groups based on variables such as gender, type of school (public or private), affinity with the subject of Geography, perceived difficulty in reading maps, and prior knowledge of the five cartographic elements (title, legend, compass rose, scale, and source). The sample consisted of 112 children, and the data were obtained through eye-tracking and questionnaires. The results indicated a visualization pattern for this age group, with a longer average fixation time on the caption and a shorter one on the title. There were no significant differences in average fixation time between the groups analyzed. This is a proof of concept study, situated at the intersection of Cartography, Cognition, and Teaching. It is hoped that the findings will attract attention and thus contribute to guiding more effective pedagogical strategies for teaching thematic map reading, especially for this age group. Although the main focus is educational, the results can also support the creation of more accessible maps, taking into account design aspects aimed at children. Finally, we hope that this work can encourage future research in a field that is still little explored.