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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate students' use of visual imagery and its
relationship to spatial visualization ability while solving mathematical word problems.
Students with learning disabilities (LD), average achievers, and gifted students in
sixth grade (N = 66) participated in this study. Students were assessed on measures
of mathematical problem solving, visual imagery representation, and spatial visualization
ability. The results indicated that gifted students performed better on both spatial
visualization measures than students with LD and average-achieving students. Use of
visual images was positively correlated with higher mathematical word-problem-solving
performance. Furthermore, the use of schematic imagery was significantly and positively
correlated with higher performance on each spatial visualization measure; conversely,
it was negatively correlated with the use of pictorial images.