SPATIAL REASONING AS A PREDICTOR OF SUCCESS IN GEOMETRY AND CALCULUS OF THE BSE MATHEMATICS STUDENTS AT PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY ALAMINOS CITY CAMPUS

Abstract

Spatial reasoning is widely recognized as an essential cognitive skill that supports mathematical thinking, particularly in Geometry and Calculus. This study aimed to determine whether spatial reasoning is a significant predictor of academic performance in Geometry and Calculus among Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) Mathematics students at Pangasinan State University-Alaminos Campus. Specifically, it examined the students’ level of spatial reasoning ability, their academic performance in Modern Geometry and Calculus, and the predictive relationship between spatial reasoning and academic performance. The study employed a quantitative descriptive-correlational research design involving 26 second-year BSE Mathematics students. Data were collected using an adoptive Spatial Reasoning Test and the respondents’ final grades in Modern Geometry and Calculus. Descriptive statistics and simple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that the respondents demonstrated a high level of spatial reasoning ability, a very satisfactory level of academic performance in Modern Geometry, and a satisfactory level of academic performance in Calculus. However, the regression analysis indicated that spatial reasoning was not significant predictor of students’ academic performance in either Modern Geometry or Calculus. The findings suggest that although spatial reasoning is an important cognitive skill, students’ achievement in these mathematics courses may be influenced more by other factors, such as logical reasoning, conceptual understanding, algebraic skills, and problem-solving ability.