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CONTRIBUTION of STUDENTS' MATHEMATICAL SKILLS and SPATIAL Abillty to ACHIEVEMENT in SECONDARY SCHOOL PHYSICS

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CONTRIBUTION of STUDENTS' MATHEMATICAL SKILLS and SPATIAL Abillty to ACHIEVEMENT in SECONDARY SCHOOL PHYSICS Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi /6-/7 : 34 - 39 [/999J CONTRIBUTION OF STUDENTS' MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND SPATIAL ABILlTY TO ACHIEVEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOL PHYSICS Ömer DELİALİOGLU* Petek AŞKAR** ABSTRACT: This study investigates the contribution 1. INTRODUCTION of mathematical skills and spatial ability to achievement in secondary school physics. Sixty-eight lOth grade stu- After 1950 there has been a great effort of re- dents from a high school in Ankara were given mathe- searchers dealing with science education on deter- matical skill test (MST), spatial ability tests (SAT) and mining the factors effecting the achievement in physics achievement test (PAT). Correlational analysis science courses. Many factors, such as level of showed that the correlation coefficient for mathematical thinking, problem solving, conceptual organizati- skills and physics achievement was 0.46 (p<0.05), and on, socioeconomic status, language of thought, an- for spatial ability and physics achievement was 0.45 xiety and so forth, have been studied. Researchers (p<0.05). To see the combined contribution of mathe- have shown that intellectual factors played an im- maties and spatial ability to physics achievement, mul- tiple regression analysis was applied. The results sho- portant role in physics achievement. Four general wed that the contribution of the two predictor variables intellectual factors or abilities are seen to be most (mathematical skills and spatial ability) accounted for important [1]: almost 31 % of the variance in the physics achievement test scores. 1. The ability to reason in terms of visual KEY WORDS: Cognitive development, mathematical skills, spatial ability. spatial orientation, spatial visualization. images (visualization or spatial ability). 2. Mathematical insight (mathematics). ÖZET: Bu çalışmanın amacı, matematik becerisi ve 3. The ability to evaluate the logic of argu- uzaysal yeteneğin orta öğretim öğrencilerinin fizik başarı- ments (logical thinking ability). sına katkısını incelemektir. Ankara'daki bir lisenin 62 öğ- rencisine Matematik Beceri Testi (MST), Uzaysal Zeka 4. The ability to attack problems in a poten- Testleri (SAT) ve Fizik Başan Testi (PAT) uygulanmıştır. tially productive way (problem solving). Korelasyon analizi sonucunda matematik becerisi ve fizik başarısı arasındaki korelasyon katsayısı 0.46 (p<0.05) ola- rak, uzaysal zeka ve fizik başarısı arasındaki korelasyon The present study deals with the combined katsayısı 0.45 (p<0.05) olarak bulunmuştur. Matematik be- contribution of the fırst two of these four variab- cerisi ve uzaysal zekanın fizik başarısına bileşik katkısını les. görmek için çoklu regresyon analizi uygulanmıştır. Sonuç- lar bu iki değişkenin (matematik becerisi ve uzaysal yete- The ability to form and control a mental ima- nek) fizik başarısındaki değişkenliğin %31 'ini açıklayabil- ge is termed visuo-spatial ability. Researchers in diğini göstermiştir. areas such as neurology and cognitive psychology ANAHTAR SÖZCÜKLER: Zihinsel gelişme, matematik investigated the nature of spatial thought. Latera- becerisi, uzaysal yetenek, uzaysal yönelme, uzaysal görme. zation, the differentiatism of function of the left * Uzman Ömer Delialioğlu, Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Education, Computer Education and Instructional Technology Department. Prof. Dr. Petek A§kar, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Education, Computer Education and Instructional Technology Department. ** 35 1999 ]Contribution of Students' Mathematical Skills and Spatial Ability to Achievement in Secondary School Physics and right hemisphere of the brain, was explored improved in the population. While some researc- through such research. Accordingly visuo-spatial hers think that this can be achieved through practi- or configurational phenomena are processed in the ce [10,11], others believe that spatial ability is an right hemisphere while linear or verbal informati- innate phenomenon and cannot be leamed [12]. on is more likely to be processed in the left he- Thomas R. Lord investigated the problem in detail misphere. The cognitive psychologist Hunt con- and found results supporting those researches that tends that the hemispheres of the brain are used claim visuo-spatial aptitude can be enhanced thro- differentiaUy in linguistic and visuo-spatial reaso- ugh teaching [10]. ning [2]. Visuo-spatial ability is now recognized PaUrand & Seeber investigated the relati- as an important aspect of thought and accordingly onship between visuo-spatial ability, mathema- as an important factor in leaming. Researchers ha- tical skills of students and achievement in sci- ve found that over half of the adult population has ence courses (especially physics) [7]. They we- difficulty in manipulating and controlling iconic re also interested in finding the influence of vi- images [3]. Further, the lack of this ability not suo-spatial abilities and mathematical skills on only may hinder a person's vocational pursuits but the high attribution rate characteristics of many hislher creative thinking potential [4,5]. Visuo- introductory coUege-level science courses. spatial understanding is described as the ability to Theyobtained pre and post measures of visuo- juxtapose, manipulate, and orient an object men- spatial abilities in the areas of perception, orien- taUy and to create structures in the mind from tation, and visualization of three sections of int- written and verbal directions. The phenomenon roductory college level physics and one non- has further been subdivided into two separate fac- science liberal arts section. The study found tors, one having to do with the awareness or app- that there exists a correlation between the vi- reciation of spatial relations and image constancy (spatial orientation) and the other with the mental suo-spatial ability and achievement in science courses, and that taking physics improves vi- manipulations into other visual patterns (spatial visualization). suo-spatial abilities. Visuo-spatial aptitude has been strongly lin- Traditionally it is believed that there is a sig- ked to obtaining academic mastery of several nificant relationship between mathematical skills science disciplines. For example, Siemankowski and physics achievement. The observations on the and MacKnight [6] found that science students relationship between mathematical skills and who were mostly physics majors, possessed mo- physics achievement have been proved by various re highly developed visualization skills than researchers [1,13,14,15,16,17,18]. Studies conduc- non-science students. PaUrand & Seeber investi- ted on the effect of mathematical skills on physics gated and found spatial aptitude in successful achievement found significant correlations betwe- students of physics [7]. Baker & TaUey, and en mathematics and physics [15,18,19]. Some ot- Melntosh, made a similar studies for chemistry her studies found that mathematical skills can ser- students and found sirr.ilar results [8,9]. In the ve as a predictor for the physics courses same way, Lord found similar results for bio- [13,17,20,21]. logy students [10]. The purpose of the present study is to see the Since researchers state that visuo-spatial abi- combined contribution of mathematics and spatial lity İs an İmportant cognİtİve operation for success ability to achievement in secondary school in science, it would be very helpful if it could be physics. 36 Ömer Delialioğlu. Petek Aşkar J.of [Ed. 16-17 2. METHOD required for leaming electrostatic and electrical current in physics. These subjects are (1) numbers Three instruments (Physics Achievement (natural, rational and decimal numbers), (2) algeb- Test, Mathematical Skills Test and Spatial Ability raic expressions, (3) ratios and geometrical pro- Tests) were used during the study. These instru- perties, (4) equations and formula, (5) functions ments were administered to 68 students in two sci- ence classes in a high school in Ankara, Turkey. and graphs, and (6) trigonometry. The reliability The administration was done in the first week of estimate of the instrument was done according to the spring semester of 1995-96 school year. The the Kuder-Richardson 21 formula. For the MST a PAT was administered again just after the units reliability coefficient of 0.77 was found. The test "Electrostatic" and "Electric Current" were taught. was designed so as to investigate the relation bet- ween physics achievement and mathematical skills and included 25 multiple choice type questi- 2.1 Instruments ons. For selecting the questions following criteria were considered: The advises and suggestions of Information about the instruments used to the high school science and math teachers, after gather data is supplied below. careful examination of the test, were taken into consideration in establishing the content related 2.1.1 The Physics Achievement Test (PAT) evidence for the validity of the test. The Physics Achievement Test (PAT) covers the unit of "Electrostatistic and Electric Cur- 2.1.3 The Spatial Ability Tests (SAT) rent". The test was prepared from a wide range of sources. The selection of the proper questions for The Spatial Ability Tests (SAT) were used to the test, the order and number of questions was establish visuo-spatial abilities in the areas of spa- determined in coordination with high school tial orientation and spatial visualization. The spati- physics teachers. More than 250 questions were al ability of students can be broken down to two examined one by one and 25 questions were selec- factors,
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