Exploring the Influences of Geometric Spatial Visualization, Gender, and Ethnicity on the Acquisition of Geometry Content Knowledge (original) (raw)

Instruction in Descriptive Geometry on Spatial Test Performance

An important question in educational research is whether the imparting of knowledge and skills also improves pupils' intelligence. This aspect of transfer of learning is difficult to study within the framework of educational research. The longitudinal study presented here shows, based on sophisticated test materials and methods of analysis, that courses in Descriptive Geometry improve pupils' spatial ability, a primary dimension of intelligence. Also, sex differences that were clearly present at the first testing disappeared during "training" in Descriptive Geometry.

Role of Descriptive geometry course in development of students’ spatial visualization skills

Annales Mathematicae et Informaticae

Spatial ability is of great importance for successful work in various fields such as computer graphics, engineering, architecture and cartography. A number of studies have demonstrated that Descriptive geometry courses have the potential to develop spatial skills. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Descriptive geometry course with the current method of teaching on the spatial skills of students at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Košice. The study was conducted by a pretest and posttest method. The first grade students studying in the winter term of 2016 to 2017 educational year served as a sample for the study. A significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores was revealed by using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The findings showed that Descriptive geometry course has a positive impact on development of students' spatial skills. Although, the Descriptive geometry course provides numerous benefits, it is often regarded by students as one of the most difficult courses. The use of dynamic geometry software with the ability to represent three-dimensional space allows students to overcome the difficulties associated with the plot of this course. The future plans within Descriptive geometry teaching include integration of the dynamic geometry software GeoGebra into the educational process which should lead to the innovation and facilitation of the Descriptive geometry course.

Descriptive Geometry and Spatial Ability-Correlation and Mutual Impact at Engineering Students

Tehnicki vjesnik - Technical Gazette, 2020

Spatial abilities are recognized as one of the main factors for success in technical (STEM) professions, especially in the field of architecture and civil engineering. Given that this kind of competence is not paid enough attention to in the early stages of education, students arriving at technical faculties have difficulties in mastering the subject of Descriptive geometry and solving spatial problems in general. There are different opinions on whether these abilities are inborn, if they could be improved and if they could, in what way. In this paper, the relation between spatial abilities and the subject of Descriptive geometry at the University of Banja Luka will be examined. The study involved 175 first-year students of the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (FACEG) who took a spatial ability test before and after attending the course. The results of the tests were then compared in order to determine whether their spatial abilities were improved and, if so, whether the mastering the course had an impact on it. The results showed significant difference among those three professions. The spatial ability test used in the research was customized for this purpose and will be described in the paper.

The effects of spatial visualization and students' sex on mathematical achievement

British Journal of Psychology, 1998

Sex differences in mathematical achievement and spatial visualization skill were examined in a sample of 724 Norwegian sixth-grade students. Boys had significantly higher mean mathematics scores than girls. Significant sex differences favouring boys were found in the subsamples of most difficult tasks, but not in the subsamples of easiest tasks. No significant sex difference in spatial visualization was found. The hypothesis that boys' superior achievement in mathematics is due to a superior ability in spatial visualization was not supported. Although the effect of spatial visualization on mathematical achievement increased significantly up to a certain level of mathematics task difficulty, the hypothesis that the effect of spatial visualization on mathematical achievement increases with increasing task difficulty was not fully supported. With increasing mathematics task difficulty, it is hypothesized that boys, more than girls, will benefit from spatial visualization. This hypothesis was not supported by the present elementary school data.

An Investigation into Spatial Ability in Geometry among Secondary School Students

sjesr

Spatial ability is reflected to be one of the major abilities that appear especially essential in learning and doing mathematics. The present study is aimed at observing the spatial ability in geometry among secondary school students and teachers teaching mathematics. Objective of the study was to compare the spatial ability of the students of urban and rural secondary schools. To achieve the above objective, following null hypothesis was tested; there is no significant difference between urban and rural secondary schools’ students on spatial abilities. A total of 400 students studying in 9th class from sixteen schools were randomly selected as the sample of the study. The study was conducted with the help of an empirical research design. Different Spatial Ability Tests were developed to measure spatial ability. For the purpose of data collection, observation sheets and test items were developed to investigate the performance of the students. Different statistical techniques like Me...

DETERMINANTS OF STUDENTS? ACHIEVEMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY.

One of the biggest challenges that the nation faces today is the problem on how to improve the performance of Filipino students in mathematics and science. The steep downfall of the science and mathematics competencies that Filipino students demonstrate in standards-based tests as measured against international levels has belittled the nation?s capacity to compete globally in academic competitions. And the Philippine Educational System can only put the blame on the subject teachers who have a direct contact with learners. But to educators, instruction may not be the sole factor that brings about the problem. Surely, there is more to determinants of students? performance in mathematics than teacher-factor. For one, attitude that is observed in different directions ? student towards the subject, student towards the teacher, teacher toward the subject, teacher toward the student ? may also be considered non-intellective factors that may bring about an effect on student performance in mathematics, not to mention environment, support from family, and the like which may also influence such. Some of these may be even traced back to a learner?s remotest experiences, and reading difficulties can be one of them. The general problem of the study is to determine factors influencing the performance of LCUP BED students in High School Geometry. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following: (1) how can the demographic profile of the respondents be described in terms of gender, age, IQ, GPA, parental educational attainment and reading proficiency; (2) What is the respondents? level of achievement in Geometry; (3) Which of these factors are significant determinants of achievement in mathematics; and, (4) what pedagogical implications may be drawn from the study? To realize this aim, a descriptive correlational method was employed. Performance in Geometry was measured using the Geometry California Mathematics Standards Test. This is one of the California Standards Test administered as part of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program under policies set by the California State Board of Education. The reading proficiency level of the respondents, on the other hand, was identified using the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test, a standardized test which was developed by Walter H. MacGinitie, Ph. D. The other factors considered were the demographic profile variables which included age, gender, IQ, GPA, and Parental Educational Attainment. The respondents of the study were the one hundred sixty-eight (168) Grade 9 high school students of the Basic Education Department of La Consolacion University Philippines who were enrolled in the school year 2011-2012. At the end of the study, the following were concluded: (1) the respondents of the study were almost equally distributed in terms of gender, were learners of normal schooling age, possessed average capacity to accept knowledge and obtained average GPA in the previous school year. Majority of the respondents? parents were non-bachelor?s degree holders; (2) almost half of the respondents were diagnosed to have achieved at least the high school level of proficiency in reading while the other half of the respondents were not able to cultivate desirable reading proficiency level; (3) Majority of the respondents demonstrated poor achievement in High School Geometry; and, (4) GPA, IQ and reading proficiency are good determinants of achievement in Geometry while age, gender and parental educational attainment were found not to be significant determinants of achievement in the subject. Pedagogical implications and recommendations of the study were thoroughly discussed.

An Analysis of the National Intended Geometry Curriculum

Contemporary Education Dialogue, 2018

Geometrical concepts play a crucial role in developing spatial thinking and reasoning. Further, curricular materials play a key role in shaping student-learning experiences in the classroom. The organisation of the content of textbooks plays a decisive role in how and when students are introduced to concepts, especially given the ‘textbook-centric’ teaching practices observed in the Indian classroom. I thus analysed the geometry curriculum from grades one through eight through the lens of the five-level hierarchical van Hiele model of geometrical thinking.1 I organized the analysis to highlight conceptual details at two levels—across a chapter in a particular grade level and across chapters in all the eight grade levels. The analysis has illuminated the affordances of curricular materials to constantly connect students to multiple levels of geometric reasoning, but at the same time it points to the need for reorganizing the curriculum to enable students to systematically progress fr...

Secondary students’ spatial thinking in solving the minimum competency assessment (MCA) on geometry

Jurnal Elemen

Reflecting on PISA and TIMSS, international mathematical, reading, and science literacy assessments, the Indonesian government began implementing the Minimum Competency Assessment (MCA) for primary, secondary, and high school students. MCA demands the ability to solve daily life problems, one of which is geometry problems that require spatial ability. This research focused on describing spatial thinking ability used in numeracy competencies on geometry content. This research is descriptive with a qualitative approach. Thirty junior high school students in Malang, East Java, Indonesia, took the MCA preparation test and assessed their spatial thinking skills. The research was conducted in three stages: preparation, implementation, and analysis, and showed that three aspects of spatial ability, namely visualization, orientation, and relations, had not yet fully emerged. Some students cannot arrange the expected pattern. There are even students who ignore the geometric shapes requested....