What is spatial ability?
Spatial ability involves perceiving the location and dimension of objects and their relationships to one another. We use it to pack a suitcase, when stacking a dishwasher and even when getting dressed (e.g. turning clothes around, aligning buttons and button holes). We also need to be able to negotiate our way around objects without bumping into them – this requires an understanding of the distance and direction of objects relative to ourselves in large-scale space. We also use spatial skills in navigation when learning a route from A to B, or giving directions.
Spatial ability and STEM
Over the last 10 years there has been a mounting interest in the importance of spatial ability to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Two key papers fostered the growth of this field. First, Wai et al. (2009) demonstrated that spatial ability in childhood predicts adult expertise in STEM, i.e. those with higher spatial abilities were more likely to e
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