Spatial visualisation ability as correlate of senior school students’ achievement in physics in Sokoto state, Nigeria

This paper examined spatial visualisation ability as correlate of senior school students’ achievement in Physics in Sokoto State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to: (i) examine the relationship between senior school students’ spatial visualisation ability and their achievement in Physics; (ii) determine the relationship between senior school students’ spatial visualisation ability and their achievement in physics based on gender; (iii) assess the relationship between students’ spatial visualisation ability and their achievement in physics based on school type. This research adopted ex post facto research of the co-relational type. The population for the study were Senior Secondary School II (SSS II) students in Sokoto State. Proportional sampling technique was used in sample selection. Seven hundred and thirty-one (731) SSS II students, offered Physics in senior secondary schools across the three senatorial districts in Sokoto State, Nigeria, formed the sample for the study. Research instruments, employed to elicit data for the study, were: Students’ Spatial Ability Test (SSAT), and Physics Achievement Test (PAT). The instruments were validated by experts in science education, and Practicing Physics teachers in Sokoto, giving reliability coefficients 0.79 and 0.89 respectively. The data gathered were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistic and Z-test statistic, at .05 level of significance. The findings of the study were that: there was statistically significant relationship between students’ spatial visualisation ability and their achievement in Physics (r=0.32, p < .05); there was statistically significant difference in the strength of the relationship between students’ spatial visualisation ability and their achievement in Physics based on gender as the Zobs – value (-2.01) was outside ±1.96 boundary in favour of female students; and iii there was statistically significant difference in the strength of the relationship between spatial visualisation ability and achievement in Physics based on school type as the Zobs – value (-5.08) was outside ±1.96 boundary in favour of private schools. It was concluded, that students’ spatial visualisation ability positively predict their achievement in Physics. It was recommended, that students should be trained on spatial ability so as to be able to predict correctly their achievement in Physics