Spatial cognition in engineering education: developing a spatial ability framework to support the translation of theory into practice

ABSTRACT

A substantial degree of empirical evidence has illustrated the correlation between spatial skills and performance in engineering education. This evidence has been foundational in the construction of educational interventions which have resulted in both increased levels of spatial ability and increased educational performance and retention. However, the cognitive faculty of spatial cognition is widely recognised as multifactorial and a number of factors exist within this domain which have not been examined as potential influences on educational success. A number of factors have been identified within the pertinent literature which do not appear in any formal framework of spatial cognition. This paper presents a review and synthesis of this work with the amalgam presented as a model to support the further integration of spatial ability into engineering educational practices.     

Spatial Ability: A Neglected Talent in Educational and Occupational Settings

For over 60 years, longitudinal research on tens of thousands of high ability and intellectually precocious youth has consistently revealed the importance of spatial ability for hands-on creative accomplishments and the development of expertise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) disciplines. Yet, individual differences in spatial ability are seldom assessed for educational counseling and selection. Students especially talented in spatial visualization relative to their status on mathematical and verbal reasoning are particularly likely to be underserved by our educational institutions. Evidence for the importance of assessing spatial ability is reviewed and ways to utilize information about individual differences in this attribute in learning and work settings are offered. The literature reviewed stresses the importance of spatial ability in real-world settings and constitutes a rare instance in the social sciences where more research is not needed. What is needed is the incorporation of spatial ability into talent identification procedures and research on curriculum development and training, along with other cognitive abilities harboring differential—and incremental—validity for socially valued outcomes beyond IQ (or, g, general intelligence).     

Six Myths About Spatial Thinking

Visualizations are an increasingly important part of scientific education and discovery. However, users often do not gain knowledge from them in a complete or efficient way. This article aims to direct research on visualizations in science education in productive directions by reviewing the evidence for widespread assumptions that learning styles, sex differences, developmental stages, and spatial language determine the impact of visualizations on science learning. First, we examine the assumption that people differ in their verbal versus visual learning style. Due to the lack of rigorous evaluation, there is no current support for this distinction. Future research should distinguish between two different kinds of visual learning style. Second, we consider the belief that there are large and intractable sex differences in spatial ability resultant from immutable biological reasons. Although there are some spatial sex differences (in some types of spatial tests although not all), there is actually only very mixed support for biological causation. Most important, there is conclusive evidence that spatial skills can be improved through training and education. Third, we explore educators' use of Piaget's ideas about spatial development to draw conclusions about ‘developmental appropriateness’. However, recent research on spatial development has focused on identifying sequences that begin with early starting points of skill, and spatial education is possible in some form at all ages. Fourth, although spatial language does not determine spatial thought, it does frame attention in a way that can have impact on learning and understanding. We examine the empirical support for each assumption and its relevance to future research on visualizations in science education.     

Replacing Old Spatial Empires of the Mind

In this article we argue for the spatialization of research on educational transfer in the field of comparative education within a theoretical framework that focuses on networks, connections, and flows. We present what we call a "spatial empire of the mind," which is comprised of a set of taken-for-granted "truths" about space and place that have legitimized much research in the social sciences. We critique this spatial empire of the mind and present some of the core ideas associated with the spatial turn. The next part of the article reviews three possible ways that new spatial theorizing has been taken up in educational research. Here we make reference to existing educational studies that engage with new ways of rethinking space and place. The argument that we put forward is that the most promising approach, for research on educational transfer within the field of comparative education, is network spatiality. We argue that there is great value in rethinking space and place not simply as objects of study, but within a theoretical framework that focuses on networks, interconnections, and movements within and between them, as well as their productive capacity to produce and shape knowledge, identities, and human subjectivities.     

我国各地区教育与GDP的空间特征实证分析

本文通过建立空间自回归模型,探讨了我国各地区教育经费与GDP、受教育年数与GDP的空间关系。研究结果表明:教育经费、受教育年数与GDP都存在明显的空间聚集效应;教育经费关于GDP存在边际效应递减的特性,地区教育经费支出对GDP的增长具有长期的促进效应;受教育年数关于GDP存在边际效应递增的特性,我国已进入了受教育年数对GDP增长产生长期促进效应的发展阶段;最后提出了一些针对性的政策建议。     

我国学前STEM教育的研究综述——基于Citespace5.7软件的可视化分析

随着科技的进步,STEM教育已成为当前教育研究的热点话题,也是基础教育阶段重点关注的教育领域。本文结合中国知网(CNKI)数据库最近六年2015年1月~2021年1月收录的以“学前STEM教育”为关键词的文献作为研究对象,运用citespace5.7软件,采用词频分析和聚类分析的方法分析了解我国学前STEM教育的研究热点和发展趋势。经过分析发现,当前我国学前STEM教育研究大多集中在“对国外学前STEM教育的学习与借鉴”、“我国学前STEM教育的价值”、“STEM教育在幼儿园的教学与实践”和“我国学前STEM教育的人才培养”四个方面,在今后的研究中要注重发挥STEM教育的跨学科性,增加不同学科、不同领域学者之间的交流合作机会;加强实证研究、混合研究方法的使用,实现量化研究与质性研究的有效结合;扩大学前STEM教育研究内容覆盖的范围,深化研究主题。     

中国社区教育资源空间不均衡的研究述评与展望

社区教育是实现教育区域公平的重要途径,是学校教育的补充和延续。我国社区教育事业起步于20世纪80年代,经过近40年的发展,社区教育资源空间不均衡问题日益突出,业已成为教育区域不均衡的突出表现。当前有关社区教育资源空间不均衡的研究,主要集中在:社区教育资源的内涵理解、教育资源空间不均衡的现实格局及其影响因素,以及由社区教育资源空间不均衡引发的诸多社会问题等。故,结合当前中国社区教育研究的最新进展、教育资源空间分布不均衡的实际问题,提出未来的研究方向可以围绕地理空间技术在社区教育资源空间布局和规划中的应用以及加强社区教育资源空间布局研究的层次及视角两个方面展开。     

“Why am I here?”: A phenomenological exploration of first-generation college student experiences in STEM majors within a predominantly white institution

First-generation college students (FGCSs) are a growing population in undergraduate education. Research on FGCS primarily focuses on the challenges and barriers they encounter in college. While important, this literature offers a limited view of FGCS as learners. Moreover, minimal literature has examined these students' lived experiences within sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study explores the learning experiences of FGCS (N = 17) in undergraduate STEM programs at a mid-sized, private, predominantly white institution. Guided by the frameworks of intersectionality and social cognitive career theory, the researchers utilized a qualitative, phenomenological research methodology to hear the perspectives of FGCS to and to identify problematic higher educational structures in STEM. Findings point to an elitist stance underlying STEM programs based in general disciplinary norms that restricted FGCS access to STEM majors and careers across social, academic, and professional elements of the academic experience. FGCS who were multiply minoritized based upon race, gender, and social class experienced the compounding of marginalization, and academic success and persistence came at a personal cost. Students also reported relying predominantly on personal strengths and motivations to overcome elitism in STEM rather than on institutional supports. Findings also highlight the variation in the first-generation experience and identify the unique barriers FGCS encounter within STEM fields. Implications for dismantling inequitable structures for higher education in STEM attending to the social, academic, and professional inclusion of FGCS.     

Interventions in education to prevent STEM pipeline leakage

The so-called leaking STEM pipeline (dropout in STEM education) has been the subject of many studies. The large interest of scholars in plausible causes of this leakage has resulted in a number of meta-reviews describing factors at system, school and student level related to interest and persistence in STEM education. The STEM pipeline discussion has also resulted in a large number of programmes aimed at enhancing STEM interest and persistence in STEM education. Although these programmes have been widely evaluated, there seems to be no consensus about which interventions are successful in raising interest in STEM or persistence in STEM education. This study reports the results of a systematic review of empirical studies in which the effectiveness of STEM-related interventions are assessed. Initially, 538 studies were found. The quality analyses showed that only a few of these evaluation studies are designed in such a way that it is likely that the found effects are caused by the intervention. Although some potentially effective interventions were found, this review shows that there is still a need for research into the effectiveness of those programmes, especially with regard to programmes preventing talented and initially motivated STEM students to drop out of STEM education.     

Educational Adequacy Litigation in the American South: 1973–2009

Calls to strengthen education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are underscored by employment trends and the importance of STEM innovation for the economy. The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) has been tracking over 5,000 talented individuals longitudinally for 40 years, throwing light on critical questions in talent identification and development in STEM. SMPY includes individuals identified in 7th/8th grade as in the top 1% or higher in mathematical or verbal ability, and a comparison group identified as top STEM graduate students. SMPY findings cover the educational and occupational attainments of participants, including a large percentage earning a degree or pursuing high powered careers in STEM; gender differences; the extent to which high school experiences, abilities, and interests predict later outcomes; and subsequent creative production. Mathematical reasoning ability as measured by standardized tests is a reliable predictor for later math/science engagement and achievement in adulthood, and spatial ability adds predictive value. Exposure to appropriate educational opportunities do correlate with career achievement and creative production. SMPY researchers have concluded that potential future STEM innovators can be identified early and that educational interventions can increase their chances of success.     

Beyond Traditional Measures of STEM Success: Long-Term Predictors of Social Agency and Conducting Research for Social Change

Despite the importance of preparing socially responsible graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to address the current state of poverty and inequality, very few studies in higher education have examined the development of STEM students’ outcomes critical to promoting a more equitable society, typically focusing on the impact of one program or course. To address this gap in the literature, this study used frameworks of undergraduate socialization as well as social justice perspectives in STEM education to examine the undergraduate experiences and institutional contexts that predict STEM bachelor’s degree recipients’ development of two democratic educational outcomes seven years after college entry: social agency and values toward conducting research that will have a meaningful impact on underserved communities. The study utilized multilevel modeling on a national longitudinal sample of 6341 STEM bachelor’s degree recipients across 271 institutions. Longitudinal student data from the 2004 Cooperative Institutional Research Program’s (CIRP) Freshman Survey and 2011 Post-Baccalaureate Survey were merged with institutional data from the Integrated Postsecondary Educational Data System and CIRP Faculty Surveys. Various undergraduate socialization experiences and institutional contexts were found to predict STEM bachelor’s degree recipients’ democratic educational outcomes, including academic majors, participation in student organizations and research, experiences with faculty, and peer and STEM faculty normative contexts. Implications of the findings for research, policy, and practice are discussed.     

Ten years of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: A meta-analysis of CSCL in STEM education during 2005–2014

The goal of this paper is to report on a meta-analysis about the effects of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) in STEM education. The analysis is based on 316 outcomes from 143 studies that examined the effects of CSCL published between 2005 and 2014. Our analysis showed that the overall effect size of STEM CSCL was 0.51, a moderate but notable effect size in educational research. The effect was greatest on process outcomes, followed by knowledge outcomes, and affective outcomes. The sizes of the effects were moderated by types of technology and pedagogy, educational levels of learners, and learning domains. Moderators further interacted so that effects of technology and pedagogy varied depending on the modes of collaboration, learners' educational levels, and domains of learning. The current study demonstrates the overall advantage of CSCL in STEM education and highlights a need to understand how these variables may interact to contribute to overall CSCL effectiveness.     

Correlating Spatial Ability With Anatomy Assessment Performance: A Meta-Analysis

Interest in spatial ability has grown over the past few decades following the emergence of correlational evidence associating spatial aptitude with educational performance in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The research field at large and the anatomy education literature on this topic are mixed. In an attempt to generate consensus, a meta-analysis was performed to objectively summarize the effects of spatial ability on anatomy assessment performance across multiple studies and populations. Relevant studies published within the past 50 years (1969–2019) were retrieved from eight databases. Study eligibility screening was followed by a full-text review and data extraction. Use of the Mental Rotations Test (MRT) was required for study inclusion. Out of 2,450 screened records, 15 studies were meta-analyzed. Seventy-three percent of studies (11 of 15) were from the United States and Canada, and the majority (9 of 15) studied professional students. Across 15 studies and 1,245 participants, spatial ability was weakly associated with anatomy performance (r_pooled = 0.240; CI at 95% = 0.09, 0.38; P = 0.002). Performance on spatial and relationship-based assessments (i.e., practical assessments and drawing tasks) was correlated with spatial ability, while performance on assessments utilizing non-spatial multiple-choice items was not correlated with spatial ability. A significant sex difference was also observed, wherein males outperformed females on spatial ability tasks. Given the role of spatial reasoning in learning anatomy, educators are encouraged to consider curriculum delivery modifications and a comprehensive assessment strategy so as not to disadvantage individuals with low spatial ability.     

基于KH Coder文本数据挖掘的中日STEM教育研究模式对比

STEM教育由于强调跨学科融合和创新人才培养的理念而受到世界各国的广泛关注。我国学者的国际视野主要集中于欧美国家,而对日本的STEM教育研究甚少。造成这一现象的主要原因在于当前主流文献数据库并不支持对日语文献的检索,因此有必要借助KH Coder这一支持日语文献分析的文本数据挖掘软件来探索日本STEM教育研究的特色,以期为我国的STEM教育研究提供借鉴。通过对中日两国STEM教育研究主题高频词表与主题词共现关系网络的分析发现,日本的STEM教育研究更偏向于实践,且注重进行实证研究;实践指向下的开发主要关注教材开发,且非常注重与地方特色产业相结合;同时倡导和重视国际间合作开展STEM实践,不断输出和引进可贵经验。反观我国的STEM教育研究,则偏向于介绍国外特别是美国的STEM教育经验,课程内容偏向于STEM教育的理念及其设计等理论层面问题,非常缺乏融入本地境脉的实践和实证研究。为了更好地推进我国STEM教育的实践发展,我国学者应该借鉴日本STEM教育研究模式的特色,从实践与实证相结合、建立国际合作、融入地方境脉三方面探求STEM教育研究模式的转变。     

中美STEM教育研究的文献计量学分析

本文基于文献计量学理论,对中美STEM教育研究的文献进行了分析,分别得出了两国在该领域的高影响期刊、文献年度分布、前十位高产学者以及高产学术机构等结果.研究表明,美国STEM教育研究人员和机构数量庞大,而国内文献总量较少,增速缓慢,各学术机构间产量悬殊,高产学者和资源分布比较集中;美国STEM教育研究注重基础性和实证性,国内综述性研究居多,缺少支撑STEM教育实践的实证性研究;美国STEM教育研究涵盖所有学段,研究主题涉及众多方面,国内研究主要针对基础教育和创客教育,对高等教育等研究不足.未来我国STEM教育研究应在教师专业发展、STEM课程融合和学习科学等方面开展广泛的本土化研究.     

STEM教育的本土化困境及其适应性超越

针对STEM教育游离于中国教育实践土壤之外的现实,"STEM教育本土化"的呼吁由来已久.当前STEM教育在本土的三维演化以异域理念奠定本土认知基础,以课程实践探索本土方法策略,以体系建设深化本土路径架构.中国STEM教育发展至今,面临观念偏离使本土化逻辑自茧、理论缺位使本土化创新受阻、实践无序使本土化探索失范的三重困境...     

‘Research as dialogue’ and cross-cultural consultations: confronting relations of power

In this paper, we discuss methodological issues that emerged as we worked through a small empirical research project, ‘Engaging Aboriginal students in education through community empowerment’. Recent national policy statements (see, for example, MCEETYA 2000, NBEET 1995) argue the importance of education/research that keeps the locus of control within the Aboriginal community as a means to further the goal of self-determination and improve educational outcomes. In keeping with these recommendations, our project aimed to challenge assimilationist frameworks and sought to ‘empower’ members of the local Aboriginal community through participation in the project.     

The intellectual landscape of critical policy analysis

What counts as critical policy analysis in education? Over the past 30 years, a tightening of national educational policies can be seen in the USA and across the globe. Over this same period of time, a growing number of educational policy scholars, dissatisfied with traditional frameworks, have used critical frameworks in their analyses. Their critical educational policy work has contributed to a unique intellectual landscape within education: critical policy analysis. This article presents a qualitative exploration of the critical policy analysis approach to educational policy studies. Participants included scholars known to utilize critical theoretical frameworks and methods in their research. Through a historical approach that makes use of oral history interviews with educational policy, we developed an understanding of the critical approach to policy studies, its appeal among critical education policy scholars, and the rationales driving its use.     

The interplay between structure and agency in the enactment of STEM policy

In their paper, Hoeg and Bencze argue that current STEM curriculum guidelines prioritise the training of a workforce in detriment of a democratically grounded education for citizenship. We agree that there is an insufficient questioning about which type of citizenship STEM curricula would favour and wish to contribute to this debate by (1) problematising different meanings and aspects of citizenship in different models of democracy and (2) exploring the dialectical nature of structure and agency in the discursive construction of educational (policy) discourse. We also discuss results from recent empirical research about teachers’ ideas on citizenship education in order to challenge views that assume a linearity between educational policy and its enactment.     

The Single Sex Debate for Girls in Science: a Comparison Between Two Informal Science Programs on Middle School Students’ STEM Identity Formation

Currently, there are policy debates regarding the efficacy and legality of single sex formal and informal education programs. This issue is particularly poignant in science education due to the historical marginalization of women in these fields. This marginalization has resulted in women being positioned as a stigmatized group within many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related fields. Research points to adolescence as the age where this sense of marginalization begins to develop. As a result, policy responses have utilized various frameworks such as: increased access for women, changing pedagogy to address women’s learning styles, changing the language and culture of science to prevent marginalization of stigmatized groups, and finally exploring the role that individual identity plays in the marginalization of women. This study adds to the policy debate as it applies to single sex education by comparing middle school participants’ STEM identity formation during two informal science learning environments (an all girls’ STEM camp and a co-educational STEM camp). Additionally, this study focuses on the influence of camp activities within two informal science education programs: particularly the provision of role models and authentic STEM research activities, as means to improve STEM identity and make these fields relevant to the lives of middle school students. The results indicate that both camps improved girls’ STEM identities. These findings suggest that the single sex environment is not as important to STEM identity as the pedagogy used within the program.