Abstract

• The main aim of this study is to investigate the visual perceptual skill that affects on mathematics achievement of Grade 6 students in Ngazun Township, Mandalay Region. The quantitative research design and the descriptive survey method were taken in the present study. The total of 650 (male=309, female=341) Grade 6 students were selected as participants from three high schools, three high schools (branch), two middle schools, and two middle schools (branch) by using simple random sampling technique. As research instruments, visual perceptual skill test with 20 items and mathematics achievement test with 30 items were adapted and applied. The visual perceptual skill test included five subtests: visual discrimination, visual spatial-relationships, position-in-space, visual figure-ground, and visual analysis and synthesis. The p-value and pointbiserial correlation of the items in both tests were analyzed by using Bilog-MG Software. The internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) of the visual perceptual skill test was 0.745 and that of mathematics achievement test was 0.895. Students’ visual perceptual skill and mathematics achievement were investigated to find out whether there were significant differences by gender, locality, and school type. In addition, the effect of visual perceptual skill on mathematics achievement was explored. The results indicated that male students had higher visual perceptual skill than female students. But, significant difference was not found in mathematics achievement by gender. According to locality effect, urban students possessed better visual perceptual skill and mathematics achievement than rural students. In this study, Grade 6 students in High Schools had the highest visual perceptual skill and mathematics achievement in the comparison of four school types. Besides, visual perceptual skill subtests can significantly predict mathematics achievement in accordance with the result of regression analysis. According to these research findings, this study highlights the fact that visual perceptual skill plays as an important part in the improvement of students’ mathematics achievement.