This study aim to describe the spatial ability of junior high school student with high mathematics ability, medium mathematics ability, and low mathematics ability in solving geometry problems.

 

The subject of this study were 3 junior high school students who were taken from every level of mathematics ability. The data was obtained from the test and the semi-structured interview based on their answer of the test.

 

The results showed that subjects with high mathematics ability in the spatial visualization and spatial orientation component tended to imagine the object and did not put a mark on the image to make it easier to solve the geometric problem. In geometric problems with spatial relation components, the subject discarded the unnecessary part in compiling the cube and used the side of the cube that has been marked as a basis to arrange the cube to fit the intended one. Subjects with medium mathematics ability in the spatial visual component tended to imagine and gave a sign the problem to make it easier to answer geometric problem. But, in the spatial orientation component, the subject make a mistake in imagining object with a particular perspective. In the spatial relation component, the subject imagined the object and concentrated on the side of the symbol only. Subjects with low mathematics ability in the spatial visual component tended to imagine and gave a sign the problem to make it easier to answer geometric problems. But on the spatial orientation component, the subject make a mistake in imagining objects with a particular perspective. In the spatial relation component, the subject imagined the object and gave a sign to make it easier to form a cube.

 

Based on result, we suggest that the subjects’ spatial ability with low and medium mathematics ability makes a mistake in solving geometry problems, but not with subjects with high mathematics ability.

 

Figure 1. Students' spatial ability with high mathematics ability