Using Student Characteristics/Spatial Content Knowledge and Teacher Spatial Content Knowledge to Predict Lunar Understanding

• In Event: Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Science Teaching and Learning SIG Poster Session

Abstract

Students’ gender, race/ethnicity, pre-spatial-content knowledge, and teachers’ post-spatial-content knowledge were considered to predict student post-spatial-content knowledge of lunar phases. Spatial-content knowledge was measured using student/teacher scores on the Lunar Concepts Inventory and the Purdue Spatial Visualization Rotation Test (PSVT). Student gender was not a significant predictor of student learning outcomes. Student race/ethnicity was not a significant predictor of student learning outcomes except for when students identified as “Other”. Considering pre-spatial-content knowledge, Periodic Patterns and Spatial Projection were found to be significant predictors, but Geometric & Spatial Visualization and Cardinal Directions were not significant predictors. Student PSVT post-score was found to be a significant predictor. This suggests that student spatial ability is linked to their content knowledge of lunar phases.

Authors

• Kyle Anderson Curry, University of Kentucky

• Jennifer A. Wilhelm, University of Kentucky

• Merryn Cole, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Hongwei Yang, University of West Florida