Measurement of Spatial Ability: Construction and Validation of the Spatial Reasoning Instrument for Middle School Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 709-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Ramful ◽  
Thomas Lowrie ◽  
Tracy Logan
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Spatial Ability ◽  
Spatial Orientation ◽  
Spatial Reasoning ◽  
Item Difficulty ◽  
Spatial Visualization ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
School Students

This article describes the development and validation of a newly designed instrument for measuring the spatial ability of middle school students (11-13 years old). The design of the Spatial Reasoning Instrument (SRI) is based on three constructs (mental rotation, spatial orientation, and spatial visualization) and is aligned to the type of spatial maneuvers and task representations that middle-school students may encounter in mathematics and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-related subjects. The instrument was administered to 430 students. Initially, a set of 15 items were devised for each of the three spatial constructs and the 45 items were eventually reduced to 30 items on the basis of factor analysis. The three underpinning factors accounted for 43% of variance. An internal reliability value of .845 was obtained. Subsequent Rasch analysis revealed appropriate item difficulty fit across each of the constructs. The three constructs of the SRI correlated significantly with existing well-established psychological instruments: for mental rotation (.71), spatial orientation (.41), and spatial visualization (.66). The psychometric characteristics of SRI substantiate the use of this measurement tool for research and pedagogical purposes.

scholarly journals Students’ Spatial Reasoning in Solving Geometrical Transformation Problems

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-51
Author(s):  
Serli Evidiasari ◽  
Subanji Subanji ◽  
Santi Irawati
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Spatial Orientation ◽  
Spatial Reasoning ◽  
Spatial Visualization ◽  
School Students ◽  
Data Resource ◽  
Data Process ◽  
Geometrical Transformation ◽  
Transformation Problems

This study describes spatial reasoning of senior high school students in solving geometrical transformation problems. Spatial reasoning consists of three aspects: spatial visualization, mental rotation, and spatial orientation. The approach that is used in this study is descriptive qualitative. Data resource is the test result of reflection, translation, and rotation problems then continued by interview. Collecting data process involves 35 students. They are grouped to three spatial reasoning aspects then selected one respondent to be the most dominant of each aspect. The results of this study are: (1) the students with spatial visualization aspect used drawing strategy and non-spatial strategy in solving geometrical transformation problems. She transformed every vertex of the object and drew assistance lines which connect every vertex of the object to center point; (2) the students with mental rotation aspect used holistic and analytic strategies in solving geometrical transformation problems. Using holistic strategy means imagining the whole of transformational objects to solve easy problems. While using analytic strategy means transforming some components of objects to solve hard problems; (3) the students with spatial orientation didn’t involve mental imagery and she only could determine the position and orientation of the object in solving geometrical transformation problems

Spatial Ability Mediates the Gender Difference in Middle School Students' Science Performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 1419-1432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen M. Ganley ◽  
Marina Vasilyeva ◽  
Alana Dulaney
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Gender Difference ◽  
Spatial Ability ◽  
School Students ◽  
Science Performance

scholarly journals Kemampuan Spasial dalam Pengkonstruksian Jaring-Jaring Kubus dan Balok

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Shinta Wulandari
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Ability ◽  
Spatial Orientation ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Spatial Visualization ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Fifth Grade ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
School Students ◽  
Three Dimensional Objects ◽  
The Relationship

<p>Jaring-jaring dapat membantu siswa membuat konsep hubungan antara objek dua dimensi dan tiga dimensi. Namun masih ada ketidakakuratan dalam menyusun jaring-jaring yang disebabkan oleh kemampuan spasial yang lemah. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menggambarkan kemampuan spasial siswa dalam membangun jaring-jaring kubus dan balok. Subjek penelitian adalah empat puluh siswa Sekolah Dasar kelas lima. Dari empat puluh siswa dipilih dua siswa untk diwawancara lebih mendalam terkait penyelesaian tugas jaring-jaring kubus dan balok. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dalam menyelesaikan tugas penyusunan jaring-jaring kubus dan balok, subjek menunjukkan kelemahan dalam kemampuan orientasi spasial dan visualisasi spasial. Kelemahan pada orientasi spasial terlihat pada kemampuan subjek untuk melihat objek dari sudut pandang tertentu yaitu dalam mengenali dua jaring-jaring yang kongruen tetapi dianggap tidak kongruen. Sedangkan kelemahan visualisasi spasial nampak pada saat subjek yang tidak dapat membayangkan bahwa jaring-jaring dapat dilipat menjadi kubus dan balok.</p><p> </p><p>Nets can help students conceptualize the relationship between two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects. But there are still inaccuracies in composing the webs caused by weak spatial ability. The purpose of this study is to describe the spatial ability of students in constructing cube and beam webs. The research subjects were forty-fifth-grade elementary school students. Of the forty students, two students were chosen to be interviewed more deeply related to the completion of the task of the cube nets and the beam. The results showed that in completing the task of arranging cube and beam nets, the subject showed weaknesses in the ability of spatial orientation and spatial visualization. Weaknesses in spatial orientation are seen in the subject's ability to see objects from a certain point of view, namely in recognizing two nets that are congruent but considered incongruent while the weaknesses of spatial visualization are seen when subjects cannot imagine that the webs can be folded into cubes and blocks.</p>

scholarly journals Development of the Spatial Ability Test for Middle School Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevda Göktepe Yıldız ◽  
◽  
Ahmet Şükrü Özdemir ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Spatial Ability ◽  
School Students ◽  
Ability Test

Development and Analysis of a Spatial Visualization Test for Middle School Boys and Girls

1986 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 659-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Ben-Chaim ◽  
Glenda Lappan ◽  
Richard T. Houang
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Spatial Visualization ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
School Students ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Multiple Choice Items ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Reliability Coefficients

The development of a paper-and-pencil spatial-visualization test for middle school students is repotted. The test consists of 32 multiple-choice items of 10 different types. The basic figures for the stimuli and the responses for the items vary from flat views, to numerical data, to corner views of “buildings” constructed from small cubes. The test was administered to a sample of 674 boys and 676 girls in Grades 5 through 8 from three sites representing a broad range of socioeconomic background. The reliability coefficients for various groups of students ranged from .72 to .86. The test-retest reliability coefficient for 73 students was .79. Site, grade, and sex differences, consistent with many other reports, were found. For additional 582 students in Grades 8 to 12 at two sites scores correlated .61 and .66 with scores of the Differential Aptitude Space Relations Test.

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