EVALUATION OF STUDENTS' SPATIAL ABILITIES IN AUSTRIA AND GERMANY

摘要

Mental Cutting Test was performed as pre- and post-course tests to the students in Austrian and German universities. In these countries, almost half of all students start learning Descriptive Geometry when they are around thirteen years old. Subject groups are five Descriptive Geometry courses at Universities in Austria and Germany. One reference group in Austria was also examined as control. Among the five courses, students in two courses already have experience in fundamental Descriptive Geometry learning at the beginning of the courses. The results were as follows; (1) There were statistically significant differences between males and females in almost all groups except for one. (2) Apparent significant differences were observed between experienced and non-experienced groups. (3) The problem solving process suggested the possibility that through the Descriptive Geometry education, not only the intuitive spatial recognition ability, but some logical thinking ability might be progressed, because experienced groups have solved some of the difficult problems which certainly required the process of logical judgment.