Evaluation of environmental design students’ sectioning skill with the Turkish version of the Santa Barbara Solids Test

Kenan Eren Şansal; Güliz Taşdemir; Merve Şahin Kürşad

Authors

Kenan Eren Şansal TED University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8003-0781
Güliz Taşdemir TED University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8854-2936
Merve Şahin Kürşad TED University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6591-0705

Keywords:

Design education, Environmental design, Sectioning skill, Spatial ability, The SBST

Abstract

Given the significance of sectioning skill in higher education and its malleability through training, it is imperative to measure this spatial skill and track its development by using an appropriate instrument. The Santa Barbara Solids Test is a spatial test that can be used for this purpose. However, it has been tested or used mainly with English-speaking science students. To determine whether a Turkish version of this test can be used in a culturally distinct population of design students, a two-phase study was therefore undertaken. The test’s validity and reliability were initially evaluated in 173 students. Next, another sample of 200 students took the test to assess whether test scores varied by student characteristics, as in the previous studies. The results demonstrated that the psychometric properties of the Turkish version were satisfactory. A significant correlation between students’ test scores and perceived spatial ability levels was found. Additionally, the test scores varied significantly by students’ experience, department, and gender. From these findings, it can be concluded that the Turkish version of the test is psychometrically sound and can be used to measure and monitor the development of sectioning skill in Turkish design students.

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