%0 Journal Article %T La competencia espacial: Evaluaci¨®n en alumnos de nuevo ingreso a la universidad %A V¨¢zquez %A Stella Maris %A Noriega Biggio %A Marianela %J Educaci¨®n matem¨¢tica %D 2010 %I Scientific Electronic Library Online %X the paper reports the results of an empirical study based on a sample of 854 students admitted to technology courses at the university of buenos aires: 596 enrolled on the architecture, design and urban planning and 258 on the engineering entrance course. the psychometric properties of the imaginative competence test are analysed. course type-, sex- and instruction-related differences in spatial competence are hypothesised. the introduction discusses the state of the art of spatial competence research, focusing on its nature, evaluation and sex-related differences. the reliability and validity of the instrument are verified. significant course type-related differences are found in favour of engineering students, and a significant improvement at the end of the entrance course is detected. previous findings on sex-related differences are partially confirmed. %K spatial competence %K gender differences %K higher education %K test %K psychometrical analysis. %U http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S1665-58262010000200004&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en