TY - JOUR
T1 - Spatial reasoning, mathematics, and gender
T2 - Do spatial constructs differ in their contribution to performance?
AU - Harris, Danielle
AU - Lowrie, Tom
AU - Logan, Tracy
AU - Hegarty, Mary
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding provided by Australian Research Council Discovery Grant DP150101961. The authors wish to thank the Stripy Sock Pty Ltd team and Josh Crowley for developing the digital assessment applications. Thanks to Montserrat Alvarez Klee for assistance with data collection and David Uttal and Alexandre Forndran for their comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. We also wish to thank two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments.
Funding Information:
Funding provided by Australian Research Council Discovery Grant DP150101961. The authors wish to thank the Stripy Sock Pty Ltd team and Josh Crowley for developing the digital assessment applications. Thanks to Montserrat Alvarez Klee for assistance with data collection and David Uttal and Alexandre Forndran for their comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. We also wish to thank two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The British Psychological Society
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - Background: The role of gender in both spatial and mathematics performance has been extensively studied separately, with a male advantage often found in spatial tasks and mathematics from adolescence. Spatial reasoning is consistently linked to mathematics proficiency, yet despite this, little research has investigated the role of spatial orientation and gender in the relationship between spatial reasoning and mathematics. Aims: In the present study, three spatial reasoning constructs (mental rotation, spatial visualization, and spatial orientation) were examined for their unique contributions to mathematics performance in two samples (Study 1: grade 5; Study 2: grade 8). In light of the emerging gender gap in mathematics as children develop, these relationships were explored as a function of gender. Sample: Eighty-four fifth-grade students participated in Study 1 (43 females, 41 males; mean age = 11.19 years). Nine hundred and three eighth-grade students participated in Study 2 (498 females, 405 males; mean age = 13.83 years). Methods: The three spatial reasoning constructs (mental rotation, spatial visualization, and spatial orientation) were examined for their unique contributions to mathematics performance for females and males in general and across different mathematical content (geometry–measurement and number sense). Results: Spatial factors accounted for 51% of the variance in math scores in Study 1 (grade 5) and 32% of the variance in math scores in Study 2 (grade 8). In both studies, spatial factors predicted a larger proportion of variance in geometry–measurement than for number sense. Spatial orientation was found to be a unique contributor in all mathematics models, object-based spatial skills (mental rotation and spatial visualization) varied in their contribution to math performance depending on mathematics content and gender. Conclusions: The present work highlights the unique contribution of spatial orientation in the spatial–mathematics relationship and provides insights into the nature of gender differences in mathematical problem-solving as a function of spatial reasoning and mathematics content.
AB - Background: The role of gender in both spatial and mathematics performance has been extensively studied separately, with a male advantage often found in spatial tasks and mathematics from adolescence. Spatial reasoning is consistently linked to mathematics proficiency, yet despite this, little research has investigated the role of spatial orientation and gender in the relationship between spatial reasoning and mathematics. Aims: In the present study, three spatial reasoning constructs (mental rotation, spatial visualization, and spatial orientation) were examined for their unique contributions to mathematics performance in two samples (Study 1: grade 5; Study 2: grade 8). In light of the emerging gender gap in mathematics as children develop, these relationships were explored as a function of gender. Sample: Eighty-four fifth-grade students participated in Study 1 (43 females, 41 males; mean age = 11.19 years). Nine hundred and three eighth-grade students participated in Study 2 (498 females, 405 males; mean age = 13.83 years). Methods: The three spatial reasoning constructs (mental rotation, spatial visualization, and spatial orientation) were examined for their unique contributions to mathematics performance for females and males in general and across different mathematical content (geometry–measurement and number sense). Results: Spatial factors accounted for 51% of the variance in math scores in Study 1 (grade 5) and 32% of the variance in math scores in Study 2 (grade 8). In both studies, spatial factors predicted a larger proportion of variance in geometry–measurement than for number sense. Spatial orientation was found to be a unique contributor in all mathematics models, object-based spatial skills (mental rotation and spatial visualization) varied in their contribution to math performance depending on mathematics content and gender. Conclusions: The present work highlights the unique contribution of spatial orientation in the spatial–mathematics relationship and provides insights into the nature of gender differences in mathematical problem-solving as a function of spatial reasoning and mathematics content.
KW - gender
KW - mathematics
KW - middle school
KW - spatial reasoning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088798617&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/4b607a0c-42b1-39d2-b172-139e34a4aad0/
U2 - 10.1111/bjep.12371
DO - 10.1111/bjep.12371
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85088798617
SN - 0007-0998
VL - 91
SP - 409
EP - 441
JO - British Journal of Educational Psychology
JF - British Journal of Educational Psychology
IS - 1
ER -
