Early Childhood Teachers' Spatial Reasoning Teaching Practices: A Review of Research

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Eleven
  In Roundtable Session: Student Cognition and Reasoning in Mathematics (Table 12)

Abstract

While spatial reasoning (SR) should be a focus in early childhood mathematics, little research investigates how early childhood educators (ECEs) teach SR. This scoping review describes what is known about ECEs teaching or learning to teach SR by synthesizing literature related to teachers’ professional development, tools, knowledge, and beliefs about SR. Situated learning theory and sociocultural theories of learning informed the alignment between the literature and factors within an adapted model of teacher professional growth. Findings indicate that ECEs’ SR knowledge is researched most frequently, while few studies illustrate what SR teaching practices look like in the early grades. This synthesis informs future research directions, including spatializing early mathematics curricula, developing professional learning opportunities, and enhancing ECEs' SR teaching practices.

Author

• Robyn K. Pinilla, University of Texas - El Paso
  Presenting Author