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Spatial Ability, Visual Representations, and Earth Science Achievement

Spatial Ability, Visual Representations, and Earth Science Achievement Nicole D. LaDue D. Zach Hambrick Northern Illinois Michigan State University University. Visuals in the Geosciences. 1. Earth Science References Tables, NYSED.

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Spatial Ability, Visual Representations, and Earth Science Achievement

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  1. Spatial Ability, Visual Representations, and Earth Science Achievement Nicole D. LaDue D. Zach Hambrick Northern Illinois Michigan State University University

  2. Visuals in the Geosciences 1. Earth Science References Tables, NYSED 2. http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/images/syncline.gif 3. http://www.platetectonics.com/book/images/Subduction2.gif 4.. http://www.nvcc.edu/home/cbentley/shenandoah/app_orogeny.jpg

  3. Spatial Thinking & Geoscience Spatial Thinking is “the process of problem solving via the coordinated use of space, representation, and reasoning” (NRC, 2006)

  4. Spatial Thinking & Geoscience Spatial Thinking is “the process of problem solving via the coordinated use of space, representation, and reasoning” (NRC, 2006)

  5. Spatial Thinking & Geoscience Spatial Thinking is “the process of problem solving via the coordinated use of space, representation, and reasoning” (NRC, 2006)

  6. Spatial Thinking vs Spatial Ability • (Lohman, 1993; McGrew, 2009) • Thinking / Skills • Domain-specific • Problem – solving with space, representation, and reasoning • Ability • An aspect of “g” • Domain-general • Apprehending, encoding, and mentally manipulating three-dimensional forms Uttal et al., 2012; Hegarty & Waller, 2005

  7. Spatial Ability and STEM Education Spatial Ability STEM Careers Shea et al., 2001; Wai et al., 2009

  8. Research Question #1 Earth Science Achievement Spatial Ability

  9. Research Question #2

  10. Earth Science Achievement • 165,000 students annually • 9th Graders • Publicly available New York State Earth Science Regents Exam SAMPLE QUESTION WITH VISUAL June 2007 Earth Science Regents Exam, NYSED

  11. Three Types of Items TEXT

  12. Three Types of Items NOVEL VISUALS

  13. Three Types of Items TRAINED VISUALS

  14. Three Types of Items TRAINED VISUALS

  15. Population Public High Schools • 1 rural / 1 suburban • 74% white • 144 Students (75 male) • 9th Grade (m=14.6 years)

  16. Spatial Ability & Sex Sex Differences Linn & Petersen, 1985; Hamilton, 1998; Sorby & Baartmans, 2000

  17. Spatial Ability & Sex Sex Differences MALES Linn & Petersen, 1985; Halpern et al., 2007

  18. Study Variables TEXT-ONLY QUESTIONS (T) NYS Earth Science Regents Exam TRAINED VISUAL QUESTIONS (RT) NOVEL VISUAL QUESTIONS (V)

  19. Categorizing Test Items 8 Categories Text Only Text w/ ESRT Stem Graphic Stem Graphic w/ESRT Answer Graphic Answer Graphic w/ ESRT Stem + Answer Graphic Stem + Answer Graphic w/ ESRT 3 Categories Text Only ESRT - TRAINED VISUALS Graphic – NOVEL VISUALS Two-way Effects Model with Absolute Agreement ICC = .844

  20. Study Variables SPATIAL ABILITY READING COMPREHENSION TEXT-ONLY QUESTIONS (T) NYS Earth Science Regents Exam TRAINED VISUAL QUESTIONS (RT) SEX NOVEL VISUAL QUESTIONS (V)

  21. Study Variables SPATIAL ABILITY READING COMPREHENSION TEXT-ONLY QUESTIONS (T) NYS Earth Science Regents Exam TRAINED VISUAL QUESTIONS (RT) SEX NOVEL VISUAL QUESTIONS (V) MOTIVATION PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

  22. Study Variables SPATIAL ABILITY READING COMPREHENSION TEXT-ONLY QUESTIONS (T) NYS 8th Grade English Language Arts Exam NYS Earth Science Regents Exam TRAINED VISUAL QUESTIONS (RT) SEX NOVEL VISUAL QUESTIONS (V) MOTIVATION PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

  23. Study Variables SPATIAL ABILITY READING COMPREHENSION TEXT-ONLY QUESTIONS (T) NYS 8th Grade English Language Arts Exam NYS Earth Science Regents Exam TRAINED VISUAL QUESTIONS (RT) SEX NOVEL VISUAL QUESTIONS (V) MOTIVATION PRIOR KNOWLEDGE NYS 8th Grade Science Exam

  24. Study Variables SPATIAL ABILITY READING COMPREHENSION TEXT-ONLY QUESTIONS (T) NYS 8th Grade English Language Arts Exam NYS Earth Science Regents Exam TRAINED VISUAL QUESTIONS (RT) SEX June 2012 NOVEL VISUAL QUESTIONS (V) MOTIVATION PRIOR KNOWLEDGE NYS 8th Grade Science Exam

  25. Study Variables SPATIAL ABILITY 3 Spatial Tests READING COMPREHENSION TEXT-ONLY QUESTIONS (T) NYS Earth Science Regents Exam TRAINED VISUAL QUESTIONS (RT) SEX Questionnaire NOVEL VISUAL QUESTIONS (V) MOTIVATION Questionnaire PRIOR KNOWLEDGE 20 ES Regents Questions

  26. Study Variables SPATIAL ABILITY 3 Spatial Tests READING COMPREHENSION TEXT-ONLY QUESTIONS (T) Collected Fall 2011 50 minute class period NYS Earth Science Regents Exam TRAINED VISUAL QUESTIONS (RT) SEX Questionnaire NOVEL VISUAL QUESTIONS (V) MOTIVATION Questionnaire PRIOR KNOWLEDGE 20 ES Regents Questions

  27. Example Spatial Tests Paper Folding Ekstrom et al., 1976 Mental Rotation Vandenberg, et al. 1978; Object Perspective Hegarty & Waller, 2004

  28. Spatial vs. Reading Reading Comprehension Spatial Composite Score

  29. Spatial vs. Reading Reading Comprehension Males outperformed Females on Spatial t(142) = 4.10, p<.001 Females outperformed Males on Reading t(142) = -2.66, p<.001 Spatial Composite Score

  30. Correlations N=145; * p < .05; ** p< .01 (2-tailed)

  31. Correlations Females display higher reading ability N=145; * p < .05; ** p< .01 (2-tailed)

  32. Correlations Males display higher spatial ability N=145; * p < .05; ** p< .01 (2-tailed)

  33. Correlations Spatial and Reading correlate N=145; * p < .05; ** p< .01 (2-tailed)

  34. Correlations N=145; * p < .05; ** p< .01 (2-tailed)

  35. Correlations N=145; * p < .05; ** p< .01 (2-tailed)

  36. Correlations N=145; * p < .05; ** p< .01 (2-tailed)

  37. Analysis Overall Performance on the Regents Earth Science Exam Multiple Linear Regression R2 = .66, p< .001

  38. Path Analysis Regents

  39. Path Analysis Text Trained Novel

  40. Results Significant Direct Effects for Path Analysis * p < .05, all others p < .01

  41. Results Significant Direct Effects for Path Analysis * p < .05, all others p < .01

  42. Conclusion Research Question #1: Is spatial ability associated with earth science achievement?

  43. Conclusion Research Question #1: Is spatial ability associated with earth science achievement? YES

  44. Conclusion Research Question #1: Is spatial ability associated with earth science achievement? Research Question #2: Is there a relationship between visual representations, spatial ability, and earth science achievement? YES

  45. Conclusion Research Question #1: Is spatial ability associated with earth science achievement? Research Question #2: Is there a relationship between visual representations, spatial ability, and earth science achievement? YES YES: Spatial ability is related to novel visuals, but not trained visuals.

  46. Training Spatial Skills Experts Novices N=67 Undergrad, Grad, Prof Spatial Ability Knowledge Field Mapping Task N=67 Hambrick, Libarkin, Petcovic, Baker, Elkins, Callahan, Turner, Rench & LaDue, 2012, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

  47. Training Spatial Skills Expert chemists  Analytical strategies Novice chemistry students  Spatial strategies Low spatial chemistry students  Analytical Strategies Stieff, 2007; Stieff & Raje, 2010; Stieff, Ryu, Dixon, Hegarty, 2012

  48. Next Steps Strategy Studies - Analytical vs Spatial strategies Training Studies - Interventions to improve spatial reasoning

  49. Acknowledgements Geocognition Research Lab Julie Libarkin, Advisor D. Zach Hambrick Steve Kluge, Ret. New York Teacher Participating Teachers, Students, and Administrators Funding The Graduate School Graduate Student Research Grant

  50. Contact Me Nicole D. LaDue, PhD Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences Center for Secondary Science and Mathematics Education Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois 60115 (815)753-7935 nladue@niu.edu

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