Comparing MRT scores of introductory STEM classes with a higher-level physics class

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes require students to use mental spatial skills and reasoning. We can objectively measure a student's mental spatial skills with a Mental Rotation Test (MRT). We compared MRT scores for students in introductory chemistry, math, and physics classes against scores for students in an upper level physics course and found that the upper level physics students scored better on the MRT on average than the introductory students. We have also found a small correlation between students' performance in the upper lever class, as measured by final grades, and the students' MRT scores.