A Systematic Literature Review of Students' Spatial Visual Ability in Geometry Transformation Based on Student Achievement
Keywords:
spatial visualization, geometric transformation, academic achievement, mental rotation, differential pedagogyAbstract
Visual–spatial ability represents a critical cognitive component in mathematics learning, particularly in geometric transformations, including rotation, translation, reflection, and dilation. Although previous studies have emphasized the importance of this ability, limited research has examined visual–spatial ability based on students’ academic achievement levels (high, medium, and low). This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of 24 empirical articles published between 2020 and 2025 to examine the relationship between visual–spatial ability and learning success in geometric transformations across different achievement groups. The study selection followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines and utilized two primary databases, namely Crossref and Google Scholar. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns of effective instructional strategies and variations in students’ responses across achievement levels. The findings indicate that high-achieving students generally demonstrate stronger spatial capabilities that support abstract understanding of geometric concepts, whereas low-achieving students benefit more from contextualized and concrete visual approaches. These results highlight the importance of implementing differentiated pedagogical strategies that align instructional design with students’ achievement profiles in order to optimize learning outcomes in geometric transformation topics.
References
T. Masliati and A. Asmayawati, “PEMANFAATAN VIRTUAL REALITY UNTUK PENGEMBANGAN KECERDASAN VISUAL DAN SPASIAL ANAK DI TKIT NUSANTARA BANTEN,” Jurnal Anak Bangsa, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 149–159, 2025.
F. A. Hafizh, “Analisis kesulitan berpikir abstrak siswa dalam materi transformasi geometri: Studi kualitatif pada siswa SMP,” Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Citra Bakti, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 570–584, 2025.
S. Nurwijaya and M. I. Sukaria, “Augmented Reality (AR) Dalam Pembelajaran Geometri: Dampak Pada Spasial Reasoning Siswa,” Pedagogy: Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 471–481, 2025.
T. Siregar, Stimulus Dan Respon Dalam Pembelajaran Matematika. Goresan Pena, 2025.
H. Yalçıner and D. Z. Karadöller, “Relationship between Spatial and Number Development: Spatial Location Knowledge Strongly Predicts Numerical Skills of Preschoolers than Mental Rotation,” Sep. 23, 2025. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7636510/v1.
Z. Faridah and A. Muzakki, “Strategi Meningkatkan Potensi Kecerdasan Visual-Spasial Peserta Didik di Tingkat Sekolah Dasar,” Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Education Journal, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 22–31, 2024.
F. A. Hafizh and Kusno, “ANALISIS KESULITAN BERPIKIR ABSTRAK SISWA DALAM MATERI TRANSFORMASI GEOMETRI: STUDI KUALITATIF PADA SISWA SMP,” Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Citra Bakti, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 570–584, May 2025, doi: 10.38048/jipcb.v12i2.5367.
M. Lennon-Maslin, C. Quaiser-Pohl, and L. C. Wickord, “Beyond numbers: the role of mathematics self-concept and spatial anxiety in shaping mental rotation performance and STEM preferences in primary education,” Front. Educ. (Lausanne)., vol. 9, 2024, doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1300598.
A. F. Mubarok and M. Islamiyah, “What is the Spatial Ability Profile of Elementary School Students in Solving Geometry Problems?” [Online]. Available: https://e.journal.stitmuba.ac.id/index.php/elaulad/index
N. Prasetya, M. G. Sembiring, and S. Sudirman, “Design of 6E-Instructional Model Assisted by GeoGebra Media in Improving Students’ Mathematical Visual Spatial Ability on the Topic of Prism,” Journal of Instructional Mathematics, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 72–83, 2025, doi: 10.37640/jim.v6i1.2341.
A. A. Supli and X. Yan, “Exploring the effectiveness of augmented reality in enhancing spatial reasoning skills: A study on mental rotation, spatial orientation, and spatial visualization in primary school students,” Educ. Inf. Technol. (Dordr)., vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 351–374, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s10639-023-12255-w.
J. Yu and A. R. Denham, “Utilizing augmented reality for embodied mental rotation training: A learning analytics study,” British Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 499–518, Mar. 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13397.
M. Lennon-Maslin, C. Quaiser-Pohl, and L. C. Wickord, “Beyond numbers: the role of mathematics self-concept and spatial anxiety in shaping mental rotation performance and STEM preferences in primary education,” Front. Educ. (Lausanne)., vol. 9, 2024, doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1300598.
M. Rahe and C. Quaiser-Pohl, “Can (perceived) mental-rotation performance mediate gender differences in math anxiety in adolescents and young adults?,” Mathematics Education Research Journal, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 255–279, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.1007/s13394-021-00387-6.
H. L. Jeng and Y. L. Lin, “Effect of Time Constraint in Exploring Spatial Differences With Balanced Allocation of Performance Factors in a Redrawn Mental Rotation Test,” Front. Educ. (Lausanne)., vol. 6, Aug. 2021, doi: 10.3389/feduc.2021.712691.
Y. Zhou, T. Xu, H. Yang, and S. Li, “Improving Spatial Visualization and Mental Rotation Using FORSpatial Through Shapes and Letters in Virtual Environment,” IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 326–337, 2022, doi: 10.1109/TLT.2022.3170928.
L. Arrighi and M. Hausmann, “Spatial anxiety and self-confidence mediate sex/gender differences in mental rotation,” Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2022, doi: 10.1101/lm.053596.
E. Turan, M. Kobaş, and T. Göksun, “Spatial language and mental transformation in preschoolers: Does relational reasoning matter?,” Cogn. Dev., vol. 57, p. 100980, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100980.
Y. K. Ralph, K. Berinhout, and M. J. Maguire, “Gender differences in mothers’ spatial language use and children’s mental rotation abilities in Preschool and Kindergarten,” Dev. Sci., vol. 24, no. 2, p. e13037, Mar. 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13037.
M. Lennon-Maslin and C. Quaiser-Pohl, “Mindset Matters: The Role of Mathematics Self-concept and Age in Mental Rotation Performance Among Primary School Children,” in Spatial Cognition XIII, M. Živković, J. Buckley, M. Pagkratidou, and G. Duffy, Eds., Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024, pp. 19–31.
A. R. Crispin, “Virtual/Augmented Reality: Konsep, Implementasi dan Pengujian,” PUBLIS PENERBIT UNPRI PRESS, vol. 1, no. 2, 2024.
S. Nurwijaya and M. I. Sukaria, “Augmented Reality (AR) Dalam Pembelajaran Geometri: Dampak Pada Spasial Reasoning Siswa,” Pedagogy: Jurnal Pendidikan Matematika, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 471–481, 2025.
