With No Universal Consensus, Choice of Spatial Frameworks Can Affect Model Fitting and Interpretation

• In Event: What We Read and How We Understand: Text Structure, Comprehension, and Spatial Reasoning

Abstract

Although numerous studies have linked spatial ability and spatial anxiety to mathematics, there is little consensus in the research community about these constructs' exact nature and factor structure. This study demonstrates the impact of spatial ability and spatial anxiety framework selection on predicting a geometry assessment score. The results of the spatial ability framework models indicated that significant predictors of geometry assessment performance were the specific factors of mental rotation and non-rotational spatial visualization, the broad factor of small-scale ability, and a unitary spatial structure. For the spatial anxiety framework models, only the specific factor of mental manipulation was a significant predictor. These findings suggest that different spatial framework selections may lead to different results and interpretations.

Authors

• Kelsey E. Schenck, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Doy Kim, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Michael I. Swart, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Mitchell J. Nathan, University of Wisconsin - Madison