Resumo

SEPULVEDA-GARCIA, Johan Manuel et al. Validation and Implementation of a Modified Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test for Molecular Symmetry. Rev. Fac. Cienc. Tecnol. [online]. 2018, n.43, pp.155-171. ISSN 0121-3814.

Mental rotation, as one of the categories among spatial skills, can signal the individual's ability to manipulate and make turns on three-dimensional objects, which, in turn, has a direct relationship with the implementation of rotation axes in the study of molecular symmetry in university courses on inorganic chemistry, where the students have been shown to have a low academic performance in the implementation of said axes. The purpose of the educational case was to develop, validate and apply a modified Vandenberg and Kuse mental rotation test and, at the same time, apply the standard Vandenberg and Kuse test to implement rotation axes in an inorganic chemistry course at Universidad de Caldas. The study sample was categorized according to gender and number of times the students had taken the course. The tests were applied before and after the manipulation of physical models during the course and the yields obtained were compared. One of the results was that there were no significant differences for the total sample after implementing both tests before and after the manipulation of physical models. The same tendency was observed for the comparison between students who took the course for the first time and those who retook it. As for gender comparison, the literature showed a higher performance in both tests by men than women before and after implementing physical models. Finally, we concluded that there is a link between test performance to measure mental rotation ability and the ability to apply symmetry axes.

Palavras-chave : spatial ability; mental rotation; axis of symmetry; molecular model and Vandenberg and Kuse test.

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