Examination of children’s visuospatial thinking skills in domain-general learning and interpretation of scientific diagrams

Visuospatial thinking in science education is an important form of that involves the purposeful use human eyes to develop internal representation. This study examined visuospatial skills primary school students with two aims (1) identifying students’ cognitive levels these domain-general learning, and (2) discovering how respond tasks require interpretation a diagrammatic The also investigated whether there are differences male female answer tasks. participants included 93 fourth-grade (8–9 years old), including 51 42 students, from public Japan. completed types paper-pencil tests. first test required complete Wide-range Assessment Vision-related Essential Skills ( WAVES ), measures visual perception eye-hand coordination skills. In second test, answered questions about relationship between movement sun behaviors solar cells located different places by interpreting Female outperformed one four index scores; otherwise, no other statistically significant were found. A small number had low scores. When asked explain their reasoning regarding worked based on interpterion diagram, only few correctly using perspective-taking and/or visualizing. Other struggled provide reasoning, even if they factual knowledge. Some held alternative conception sunlight intensity sun’s path sky. They through problem conceptions without reference information or taking perspectives diagram. No found achievement correct answers domain-specific test. study’s findings imply should be encouraged practice overcome previously conceptions. Furthermore, emphasize concept space teach conventional knowledge representation types. Further research learning progress includes such as recommended.