Descriptive Geometry and Spatial Ability-Correlation and Mutual Impact at Engineering Students

Spatial abilities are recognized as one of the main factors for success in technical (STEM) professions, especially in the field of architecture and civil engineering. Given that this kind of competence is not paid enough attention to in the early stages of education, students arriving at technical faculties have difficulties in mastering the subject of Descriptive geometry and solving spatial problems in general. There are different opinions on whether these abilities are inborn, if they could be improved and if they could, in what way. In this paper, the relation between spatial abilities and the subject of Descriptive geometry at the University of Banja Luka will be examined. The study involved 175 first-year students of the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (FACEG) who took a spatial ability test before and after attending the course. The results of the tests were then compared in order to determine whether their spatial abilities were improved and, if so, whether the mastering the course had an impact on it. The results showed significant difference among those three professions. The spatial ability test used in the research was customized for this purpose and will be described in the paper.