Shaping Spatial Minds through Design Education
Linking Pupils’ Spatial Thinking to Creative Ideation, Prototyping, and Making
C. Zhu (TU Delft - Groep Science & Engineering Education)
M.J. de Vries – Promotor (TU Delft - Groep Science & Engineering Education)
R.M. Klapwijk – Copromotor (TU Delft - Groep Science & Engineering Education)
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Abstract
Spatial thinking is a vital cognitive skill that spans and enriches learning across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Design, as an increasingly prevalent approach to STEM problem solving, provides rich opportunities to engage spatial thinking. However, limited research has examined how spatial thinking is enacted during open-ended design processes among primary and secondary school pupils, and findings regarding the relationship between spatial ability and design performance remain mixed. With the growing inclusion of Design and Technology (D&T) within K-12 curricula worldwide (with subject names that differ by country), the unique context of design education offers a valuable lens to deepen the field’s emerging understanding of spatial thinking’s role in design.
This dissertation investigates what forms of spatial thinking pupils engage in during design activities and how spatial ability relates to their creative design performance. Drawing on qualitative, mixed-methods, and quantitative approaches, this dissertation reports on four studies conducted in collaboration with international schools in the Netherlands, involving pupils aged 10 to 14.....
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