TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the Relationship of Spatial Visualization and Scientific Modeling in Grades 4 and 7 Students Based on Cognitive Assessment Data
AU - Lin, Jing
AU - Zhang, Letong
AU - Neumann, Knut
AU - Cheng, Ping Han
AU - Wei, Wenting
AU - Chang, Chun Yen
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge the students, teachers, and principals involved in this study. We would achieve nothing without their collaboration. We would like to thank the support from Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality Foundation at Beijing Normal University (China) and National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by Lin et al.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Scientific modeling (SM) is a core practice of science and an important component of scientific literacy. Supporting students in developing the competence to construct, use, evaluate, and revise models is hence of particular relevance. While research has shown that spatial visualization (SV), a core component of spatial ability, is correlated with students' SM performance, it is unclear which role SV plays in students performing the four elements of SM: the construction, the use, the evaluation, and the revision of models. This study analyzes the role of SV in the performance of a series of SM tasks by 279 students in Grades 4 and 7. The findings indicate that SV affects students' performance in SM but that the effect is more significant in Grade 4 than in Grade 7. More specifically, SV is significantly predictive for model revision in Grade 4, but significant for model evaluation in Grade 7. However, there was no gender difference in the effect of SV on SM. The implications are that science teaching and learning must better attend to supporting younger students through visual aids when engaging them in SM. The study also suggests that further studies are needed to understand the different cognitive processes involved in students' SM and their complex interplay.
AB - Scientific modeling (SM) is a core practice of science and an important component of scientific literacy. Supporting students in developing the competence to construct, use, evaluate, and revise models is hence of particular relevance. While research has shown that spatial visualization (SV), a core component of spatial ability, is correlated with students' SM performance, it is unclear which role SV plays in students performing the four elements of SM: the construction, the use, the evaluation, and the revision of models. This study analyzes the role of SV in the performance of a series of SM tasks by 279 students in Grades 4 and 7. The findings indicate that SV affects students' performance in SM but that the effect is more significant in Grade 4 than in Grade 7. More specifically, SV is significantly predictive for model revision in Grade 4, but significant for model evaluation in Grade 7. However, there was no gender difference in the effect of SV on SM. The implications are that science teaching and learning must better attend to supporting younger students through visual aids when engaging them in SM. The study also suggests that further studies are needed to understand the different cognitive processes involved in students' SM and their complex interplay.
KW - interactive computer assessment
KW - mental model
KW - scientific modeling
KW - spatial visualization
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U2 - 10.1163/23641177-bja10051
DO - 10.1163/23641177-bja10051
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85144556666
SN - 2364-1177
VL - 8
SP - 452
EP - 479
JO - Asia-Pacific Science Education
JF - Asia-Pacific Science Education
IS - 2
ER -
