Spatial ability, crucial for success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, displays intriguing gender differences, particularly in tasks involving spatial visualisation and mental rotation. This paper explores the nuanced landscape of gender-related cognitive processing disparities in spatial tasks, contributing to a broader understanding of cognitive diversity. While males tend to outperform females in spatial visualisation and mental rotation tasks, the impact of timing on these assessments reveals a more multifaceted picture, emphasising the importance of considering testing conditions and methodologies. The focus on mental rotation tasks extends beyond research to practical applications in education and vocational settings. Gender disparities in performance, especially under time constraints, prompt an exploration of motivational factors and societal influences. Cognitive differences in mental rotation tasks between genders involve distinct processing approaches. Typically, females exhibit top-down processing, whereas males adopt a bottom-up approach. Significant individual variations within each gender highlight the influence of diverse factors, including biology, environment, and culture on cognitive processes. This cognitive dichotomy provides insights into the varied strategies individuals employ in spatial tasks, emphasising the complexity and diversity of cognitive processes. The paper emphasises the need for inclusive and context-aware approaches when interpreting gender differences in spatial cognition, offering a nuanced perspective on cognitive diversity. Engaging with this research will equip readers with a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between biological, environmental, and cultural factors, ultimately contributing to a more informed and inclusive approach to the study of spatial cognition.
This perspective paper explores the role of spatial thinking in design practices and education by synthesizing insights from qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies from design education, STEM education, and cognitive psychology. It reviews the mixed results found regarding the relationship between spatial ability and design performance and delves into the intricacies involved in evaluating spatial ability and design ability. To obtain a holistic understanding of the interplay between spatial thinking and design practices, this paper outlines several areas for further exploration, including (1) probing not just expert designers but also young, novice designers’ use of spatial thinking in design, (2) examining the nuances in assessing spatial ability and design ability by taking the open-ended nature of design tasks into consideration, and (3) investigating ways to utilize untapped opportunities in design to foster the growth of pupils’ spatial and design abilities, enabling them to create innovative and functional solutions to real-world STEM challenges. Furthermore, this paper highlights the interdisciplinary nature of design that can be leveraged to develop pupils’ spatial thinking alongside other cognitive skills, generate transferable knowledge applicable to other disciplines, and contribute to the multifaceted discussion on spatial thinking’s role in STEM learning.
This study interpreted students’ disembedding skills within the intersecting context of visual arts and mathematics, drawing upon studies on psychology, arts, and mathematics education. It aimed to identify an emerging trajectory for disembedding skill development by employing a design-based research methodology and novel interpretation of works of art. The study involved seven sixth grade students, following one-on-one teaching experiments with six students. They participated in an online program to support students’ spatial thinking, utilizing GeoGebra Classroom. Video recordings were watched, and students’ talks and drawings were analyzed to build an understanding of disembedding. The findings of the study revealed traces of shifts in students’ interpretation of works of art through the lens of disembedding. This study could contribute to our understanding of how learners develop spatial thinking in informal learning settings like mathematics and art museums.
This cross-sectional study investigates the role of maths self-concept in spatial skills development among primary school children. The study, conducted on a sample of students (mean age M = 8.48, SD = 1.11) consisting of 70 girls and 74 boys, explores the relationship between maths self-concept and mental rotation skills, with a focus on gender and the stage of childhood development. Students completed a computerized mental rotation task measuring accuracy and response time and a maths self-concept questionnaire. Results reveal girls and tweens (pre-adolescents) demonstrate lower maths self-concept compared to boys and younger children. Moreover, maths self-concept and the stage of childhood development significantly influence mental rotation performance, with those with higher self-concept and tweens scoring better on the task. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing low maths self-concept, particularly in girls and students transitioning to secondary education, to foster spatial skills development. Targeted support during this critical educational phase is crucial.
Spatial thinking is an essential and uniting form of reasoning across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This paper explores projective geometry ideas accessible to elementary school-aged children, specifically focusing on understanding, exploring, and analyzing relationships between 3D objects and their 2D projections. We posit that projective geometry has the potential to elicit spatial reasoning actions, such as visualization, dimension-shifting, and perspective taking, and provides a unifying theme in which to explicitly attend to 2D representations of 3D objects. In the paper, we share three tasks rooted in projective geometry: Moving Shadows, Structured Perspective Drawings, and Design-Build-Draw. We piloted these tasks with children aged 5 to 11, illustrating the spatial actions elicited by the tasks through the children’s gestures, responses, drawings, and models.
