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The developmental relations between spatial cognition and mathematics in primary school children.
Katie A Gilligan1,2,3, Alex Hodgkiss2,3,4, Michael S C Thomas3,5
1School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK.
Developmental Science
|December 15, 2018
Summary
Spatial skills significantly predict math performance in children aged 6-10. Spatial scaling is crucial across all ages, while other spatial skills
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Mathematics Education
Background:
- Spatial thinking is a key predictor of mathematical ability.
- Previous research has not clarified the differential importance of spatial sub-domains for math outcomes or their developmental trajectories.
- Understanding these relationships is crucial for effective educational interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental associations between specific spatial skills and mathematics performance in children aged 6-10 years.
- To compare the predictive power of four spatial sub-domains (Uttal et al., 2013) on mathematics outcomes.
- To identify which spatial skills are most consistently important for mathematical development.
Main Methods:
- Assessed 155 children aged 6-10 years on four spatial sub-domains and three mathematics measures (standardized math skills, approximate number sense, number line estimation).
- Employed regression analyses to determine the unique contribution of spatial skills to mathematics performance, controlling for vocabulary and gender.
- Examined age- and task-dependent variations in the mathematics-spatial skill associations.
Main Results:
- Overall spatial skills accounted for 5%-14% of the variance in mathematics performance, beyond established predictors.
- Spatial scaling (an extrinsic-static skill) consistently predicted all mathematics outcomes across all assessed ages.
- Mental rotation (an intrinsic-dynamic skill) predicted mathematics performance only at ages 6 and 7, suggesting a developmental shift around age 8.
Conclusions:
- Spatial scaling is a foundational skill for mathematics in middle childhood.
- The importance of other spatial sub-domains, like mental rotation, for mathematics may change with age, indicating a developmental transition.
- Targeted spatial training, especially focusing on spatial scaling, holds promise for enhancing both spatial and mathematical competencies.
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