Neurocognitive correlates of spatial thinking mediate the relation between socioeconomic status and STEM achievement

The disparity of success in STEM between students from high and low socioeconomic backgrounds is a significant educational concern. Research in STEM education has shown that spatial skills play a role in learning, but limited research has examined whether spatial thinking could help to explain socioeconomic status (SES) disparities in STEM. The current study investigated whether spatial thinking could help to explain SES disparities, as measured by parental education and family income, across high school students' STEM achievement at the cognitive (N = 303) and neural (N = 44) levels. The current study investigated a mostly middle- and high-income sample that was highly educated (majority of parents with a bachelor's degree or higher). Results demonstrated a significant relation between SES and spatial ability, which partially mediated the relationship between SES and STEM achievement. Analysis of functional neuroimaging data during a spatial task revealed that SES was associated with increased activation in the premotor cortex and that this activity significantly mediated the SES-STEM achievement relation. These findings suggest that spatial skills are a key target to support students' STEM outcomes along the socioeconomic gradient.