English abstract
The current study aimed to reveal the skills of physics problem solving - based on graphs with grade 11" students and their spatial abilities. The study sample consists of (277) students including males and females in south Batinah education and enrolled in 2012/2013 academic year. To achieve the goals of the study, the researcher applied a test of skills of physics problem solving - based on graphs after it was judged and it's reliability coefficient alpha cornbach was found to be (0.83). A translated spatial ability test, (Spatial Orientation: Card Rotation Test, Issued by the center of educational testing service- CETS) was used in this study with an alpha cornbach reliability coefficient of (0.87). The researcher used "Thinking aloud – protocols to triangulate the results, when conducting individual interviews, with a reliability coefficient of (0.89), The mean, standard deviation and "t" test for one sample and two independent samples have been used and the result of the study indicated:
There were statistically significance differences at (a = 0.05) between the standard mean and the actual mean of skills of physics problem solving - based on graphs test in favor of the standard mean in all skills (Interpretation, Transformation & Construction of graphs) as well as the total score of the test. The mean of the sample study in the spatial ability test was (42. 25) with a standard deviation of (28.02). There were statistically significance differences at (a = 0.05) between the mean scores of high spatial ability students and low spatial ability students in the skills of physics problem solving test based on graph in the total score and in all the three skills too, in favor of the high spatial ability students. There were statistically significance differences at (a = 0.05) between the mean score of males and females in the skills of physics problem solving - based on graphs test in the total score as well as in transforming and constructing skills in favor of females students, while there was no statistically significance difference between them in interpretation skill. In the light of these findings, the study concluded a number of recommendations, including the need to address the physics concepts through graphs more than it is currently in the physics' curricula, the need to intensify activities that develop spatial ability of the students to facilitate the absorption and reading of graphs and the need to conduct training workshops for physics teachers to develop their teaching skills in teaching graphs and how to overcome the difficulties students' face.
