Spatial Thinking

An Invitation to
Assessment
Participate
SEAGA 2012

Robert Bednarz
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas, USA
Jongwon Lee
Ewha Womans University
Seoul, South Korea
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Outline
What is spatial thinking?
Importance of Spatial Thinking
Spatial Thinking vs Spatial
Ability
Assessing Spatial Thinking
(STAT)
Use STAT and Contribute to the
Data Base
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Spatial Thinking Defined

National Research
Councils
Learning to
Think Spatially
offers a new
conceptualizati
on

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Spatial Thinking
Knowledge, skills, and habits of
mind
To use

Concepts of space
Tools of representation
Processes of reasoning

To structure problems,
find answers, and
express solutions to
these problems.

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Outline
What is spatial thinking?
Importance of Spatial Thinking
Spatial Thinking vs Spatial
Ability
Assessing Spatial Thinking
(STAT)
Use STAT and Contribute to the
Data Base
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Importance of Spatial
Thinking
Geography
One of two perspectives
mentioned by both the National
Geography Standards: Geography
for life
One of two enduring themes of
academic geography identified by
Turner in Contested identities:
human-environment geography
and disciplinary implications in a
Geography
Education Research
ClusterTexas A&M University
restructuring
academy

Importance of Spatial
Thinking
Geo-spatial technology (GST)
Importance of representations
noted in Learning to Think
Spatially
Recognition of the role GIS can
play as a support system for
spatial thinking
Necessity for spatial thinking to
exploit the advantages of GST
Growing opportunities in the
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Importance of Spatial
Thinking
Science and other disciplines
Crick and Watsons model of the
structure of DNA as a double-helix
Inferring subsurface structures
from surficial features and
interpreting seismic diagrams by
geoscientists
Using graphical analysis to handle
the ever-growing volume of data
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Outline
What is spatial thinking?
Importance of Spatial Thinking
Spatial Thinking vs Spatial
Ability
Assessing Spatial Thinking
(STAT)
Use STAT and Contribute to the
Data Base
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Spatial Thinking vs Spatial

Ability
Ability
Visualization
Rotation

Perspective
Table-top scale
Timed tests

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Spatial Ability
Little correlation between
visualization and rotation and
geography-relevant tasks
Navigation, performance in
geography, GIS or cartography

Researchers began to argue for a

broadening of spatial abilities

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Ability Augmented
Spatial relations proposed
Patterns, correlation, way
finding, overlaying, distributions,
sketch mapping

Definition remains
controversial

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Spatial Thinking
An amalgam
Concepts (knowledge)
Tools (spatial representations)
Reasoning (ways of thinking)

More inclusive (identifying spatial

patterns, distributions, and
correlation; way finding; and sketch
mapping)
Scale
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Outline
What is spatial thinking?
Importance of Spatial Thinking
Spatial Thinking vs Spatial
Ability
Assessing Spatial Thinking
(STAT)
Use STAT and Contribute to the
Data Base
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Spatial Thinking Assessment

Measuring skills beyond visualization
and perspective
Spatial Thinking Ability Test (STAT)

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

STAT
Two equivalent forms
Sixteen multiple-choice questions
Both hard-copy and digital versions

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Impact of Teacher Training

Impact of Teachers Guide to Modern
Geography
Introduction of spatial thinking skills
into classrooms
Teachers showed significant
improvement

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Impact of GIS Learning

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Components of Spatial
Thinking

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Components of Spatial
Thinking
Students at all
levels found the same
questions easy or challenging

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Components of Spatial
Thinking

Factor Analysis

Six factors were identified

Little support for the hypothesized
components
Three of four questions grouping on the first
factor are related to map visualization and
overlay
Four on the second concern point, line, and
area symbols
Discerning patterns and performing boolean
operations characterize the third
The final two are determined by single
questions
Geography
Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Outline
What is spatial thinking?
Importance of Spatial Thinking
Spatial Thinking vs Spatial
Ability
Assessing Spatial Thinking
(STAT)
Use STAT and Contribute to the
Data Base
Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Contribute to the Data Base

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Korea, Turkey, Germany

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Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University

Geography Education Research ClusterTexas A&M University