Students' Spatial Geometry Ability in Solving Ethnomathematics Problems: Mental Rotation

Resumo

This study explores junior high school students’ spatial geometry reasoning, with a particular focus onmental rotation, through ethnomathematics-based assessment tasks. The study adopts a mixed-methodsapproach that integrates descriptive quantitative analysis and exploratory qualitative analysis toexamine both general performance tendencies and underlying reasoning processes. The populationconsisted of approximately 270 Grade VIII students from three public junior high schools in Semarang,Indonesia. From this population, four students aged 13–14 years were purposively selected as focalparticipants for in-depth qualitative analysis. Data were collected through students’ written responses toethnomathematics-based spatial geometry tasks involving the transformation of three-dimensionalstructures into two-dimensional representations. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively usingspatial geometry indicators, including representational accuracy, correctness of geometricinterpretation, and consistency of mental rotation outcomes. Qualitative data, consisting of students’drawings and written explanations, were analyzed thematically to identify variations in spatial reasoningstrategies. Teacher discussions were used to support instrument validation and analytical triangulation.The findings indicate general tendencies in students’ ability to recognize and represent geometric formsfrom different spatial perspectives, accompanied by notable variations in mental rotation strategies.Qualitative analysis reveals differences between holistic spatial visualization and perspective-limitedrepresentations, reflecting diverse cognitive approaches rather than categorical correctness. Theethnomathematics-based contexts functioned as analytical lenses that enabled students to externalizespatial reasoning grounded in culturally familiar objects. This study does not aim to measure spatialgeometry ability or to generalize findings to broader populations. Instead, it provides context-specificinsights into students’ spatial reasoning processes by integrating descriptive quantitative trends withillustrative qualitative evidence. The findings highlight the potential of ethnomathematics-basedassessment tasks to support reasoning-oriented and culturally responsive approaches to geometryassessment. Received: 31 October 2025 / Accepted: 08 February 2026 / Published: March 2026

Dados da obra

Tipo

Artigo

Periódico

Journal of Educational and Social Research, v. 16, n. 2, p. 232

Editora

Richtmann Publishing

Ano

2026 (2026-03-05)

Palavras-chave

mental rotation; ethnomathematics; junior high school students; geometric representation; spatial visualization; perspective taking; culturally responsive assessment; geometry assessment

Temas

Avaliação, Etnomatemática, Geometria

DOI

10.36941/jesr-2026-0291

ISSN

2239-978X, 2240-0524

Licença

cc-by-nc

Acesso

Download disponível

Fontes

OpenAlex

Na Biblioteca desde

01/10/2026 · verificada em 03/10/2026