Visual-spatial intelligence level of junior high school students: what difficulties are experienced by the students

Abstract

Visual-spatial intelligence is one important intelligence to solve mathematics problems, especially in geometry. The present research aims to find out junior high school students’ visual-spatial intelligence level and to identify the components of visual-spatial intelligence that are poorly mastered by students. The instrument of this research was a visual-spatial intelligence test. The test consisted of 18 multiple choice questions arranged based on three components of visual-spatial intelligence. The participants were 77 third grade junior high school students in Lombok, Indonesia. The collected data were analysed a using descriptive quantitative method. The findings were 2 students had a high level of visual-spatial intelligence, 65 students had an average level of visual-spatial intelligence, and 10 students had a low level of visual-spatial intelligence. In terms of the ability to accurately perceive the visual world, students were still weak when it comes to counting a particular configuration question. In terms of transforming visual experience, students have difficulty when working on questions about mental rotation. In terms of modifying visual experience, questions about folding and unfolding a particular configuration were poorly mastered by students.