The Degree of Integration of Visual Thinking Skills in Mathematics Curriculum Content and its Relationship with Productive Motivation among Fifth-Grade Students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Authors

  • Ibrahim Abdah Ali Alzubaidi

Keywords:

Visual thinking skills; productive motivation; mathematics curriculum; fifth-grade students

Abstract

The current study aimed to identify the degree of integration of visual thinking skills into the mathematics curriculum content and its relationship to productive motivation among fifth-grade primary school students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To achieve the study objectives, two study tools were developed: a visual thinking skills scale consisting of four (4) skills, each with a set of specific indicators totalling (16) items, and a productive motivation scale consisting of four (4) skills, each with a set of specific indicators totalling (28) items. The study sample included 252 male and female teachers, comprising 140 male teachers and 112 female teachers, who were randomly selected during the third semester (1446 AH). The results showed that the overall averages of visual thinking skills were high, with the highest skill being the ability to read visual shapes, followed by the skill of perceiving and interpreting relationships, then the skill of analyzing visual shapes, and the skill of inferring meanings. The overall averages of productive motivation were high, with   students' tendency to perceive meaning in mathematics ranking first, followed by learners' perception of themselves as effective learners and practitioners of mathematics, then their perception of the usefulness and value of mathematics, and finally, the belief that the effort expended in learning mathematics yields results. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between all visual thinking skills and dimensions of productive motivation. The study recommended integrating visual thinking skills and enriching mathematical and realistic activities in mathematics curricula.

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.10.6

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Published

2025-10-30