Abstract:

Success in STEM areas is heavily reliant on strong spatial abilities, most notably the capacity to do a mental rotation. Teachers' comfort in implementing spatially demanding activities in the classroom may be important in developing students' spatial skills. In this preliminary study we focus on the effects of an intervention aiming to improve teacher professional development on spatial ability skills of primary school pupils. To introduce new spatial abilities activities, it is critical to consider how teachers learn and what encourages them to adapt and adjust their teaching style. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies was utilized to track teachers' progress and obstacles in implementing these activities, as well as a pre-post test intervention with pupils to determine the impact of these activities on their spatial skills. A learning group for action research consisting of six teachers was formed with the purpose to discuss, propose and enhance the classroom intervention, as well as to share their experiences. When comparing pre- and post-test results, professional development for teachers on how to increase spatial ability activities had a significant effect on pupils' spatial abilities; additionally, for teachers, swapping artefacts and discussing their experiences in group discussions was extremely beneficial for improving their use of spatial activities in the classroom. The findings of this preliminary study pave the way for future research into the development of spatial ability-related lesson studies within the science and mathematics curriculum at primary school.

Keywords:

Spatial ability, learning group for action research, teacher professional development, primary school.