Ce travail porte sur l’étude du développement des habilités spatiales comme rotation mentale, perception spatiale et visualisation spatiale à partir de l’utilisation des objets d’apprentissage numériques chez les apprenants de l’Enseignement primaire. Une expérience a été réalisée avec des apprenants de la sixième année, agée de 10 à 12 ans, qui n’avaient pas encore été exposés à des situations de manipulation des objets spatiaux. Cette expérience consiste en une séquence didactique qui a intégré des activités avec la manipulation de certains objets numériques développés par par Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Universiteit Utrecht) et des activités réalisées sans la manipulation de ces objets. Le but de cette recherche a été de vérifier comment les objets numériques d’apprentissage sélectionnés peuvent aider l’apprenant à développer des habilités spatiales. Nous avons montré, à partir de l’analyse de cette expérience, à la lumière de la théorie de Voyer, Voyer e Bryden (1995), Fischbein (1993), Grande (1994) et Gutiérrez (1991), que les trois catégories d’habilités spatiales ont été exploitées et développés chez ces apprenants, à partir de l’élaboration d’une séquence didactique organisée et d’interaction des apprenants avec les activités proposées. De cette façon, nous avons pu observer qu’il est possible de commencer un travail de développement de ces habilités même à l’Enseignement primaire. / Este trabalho aborda o estudo do desenvolvimento de habilidades espaciais, como rotação mental, percepção espacial e visualização espacial, utilizando-se de objetos digitais de aprendizagem nos alunos do Ensino Fundamental. Foi realizada uma experiência com alunos do sexto ano do Ensino Fundamental, com idades entre 10 e 12 anos, que ainda não tinham sido expostos a situações de manipulação de objetos espaciais. Esta experiência consistia em uma sequência didática, que integrou atividades com manipulação de determinados objetos digitais desenvolvidos pelo Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Universiteit Utrecht) e atividades realizadas sem a manipulação destes objetos. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi verificar como os objetos digitais de aprendizagem selecionados auxiliam o aluno a desenvolver habilidades espaciais. Mostramos, com base na análise da experiência, à luz da teoria de Voyer, Voyer e Bryden (1995), Fischbein (1993), Grande (1994) e Gutiérrez (1991), que as três categorias de habilidades espaciais foram exploradas e desenvolvidas nestes alunos, a partir da elaboração de uma sequência didática organizada e da interação dos alunos com as atividades propostas. Desta forma, observamos que é possível iniciar um trabalho de desenvolvimento destas habilidades ainda no Ensino Fundamental. / This work broaches the development study of spatial skills such as mental rotation, spatial perception and spatial visualization, using learning digital objects elementary-school-students. An experience was accomplished with 6th grade-elementary-school-students aged 10 to 12 years old, who had never been shown with situations of spatial objects manipulation. This experience consists in a didatics sequence that integrated activities with manipulation of certain digital objects developed by Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Universiteit Utrecht) and activities done without the manipulation of these objects. The aim ot this search was to go into how selected learning digital objects support the students to develop spatial skills. We presented, based on the experience analysis, coming to light the theory of Voyer, Voyer e Bryden (1995), Fischbein (1993), Grande (1994) e Gutiérrez (1991) that the three categories of spatial skills were explored and developed with these students, from the elaboration of a organized didatics sequence and form the interaction of the students with the porposed activities. That way, we observed it is possible to start a development work of these skills yet in elementary school.

Ce travail porte sur l’étude du développement des habilités spatiales comme rotation mentale, perception spatiale et visualisation spatiale à partir de l’utilisation des objets d’apprentissage numériques chez les apprenants de l’Enseignement primaire. Une expérience a été réalisée avec des apprenants de la sixième année, agée de 10 à 12 ans, qui n’avaient pas encore été exposés à des situations de manipulation des objets spatiaux. Cette expérience consiste en une séquence didactique qui a intégré des activités avec la manipulation de certains objets numériques développés par par Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Universiteit Utrecht) et des activités réalisées sans la manipulation de ces objets. Le but de cette recherche a été de vérifier comment les objets numériques d’apprentissage sélectionnés peuvent aider l’apprenant à développer des habilités spatiales. Nous avons montré, à partir de l’analyse de cette expérience, à la lumière de la théorie de Voyer, Voyer e Bryden (1995), Fischbein (1993), Grande (1994) et Gutiérrez (1991), que les trois catégories d’habilités spatiales ont été exploitées et développés chez ces apprenants, à partir de l’élaboration d’une séquence didactique organisée et d’interaction des apprenants avec les activités proposées. De cette façon, nous avons pu observer qu’il est possible de commencer un travail de développement de ces habilités même à l’Enseignement primaire. / Este trabalho aborda o estudo do desenvolvimento de habilidades espaciais, como rotação mental, percepção espacial e visualização espacial, utilizando-se de objetos digitais de aprendizagem nos alunos do Ensino Fundamental. Foi realizada uma experiência com alunos do sexto ano do Ensino Fundamental, com idades entre 10 e 12 anos, que ainda não tinham sido expostos a situações de manipulação de objetos espaciais. Esta experiência consistia em uma sequência didática, que integrou atividades com manipulação de determinados objetos digitais desenvolvidos pelo Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Universiteit Utrecht) e atividades realizadas sem a manipulação destes objetos. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi verificar como os objetos digitais de aprendizagem selecionados auxiliam o aluno a desenvolver habilidades espaciais. Mostramos, com base na análise da experiência, à luz da teoria de Voyer, Voyer e Bryden (1995), Fischbein (1993), Grande (1994) e Gutiérrez (1991), que as três categorias de habilidades espaciais foram exploradas e desenvolvidas nestes alunos, a partir da elaboração de uma sequência didática organizada e da interação dos alunos com as atividades propostas. Desta forma, observamos que é possível iniciar um trabalho de desenvolvimento destas habilidades ainda no Ensino Fundamental. / This work broaches the development study of spatial skills such as mental rotation, spatial perception and spatial visualization, using learning digital objects elementary-school-students. An experience was accomplished with 6th grade-elementary-school-students aged 10 to 12 years old, who had never been shown with situations of spatial objects manipulation. This experience consists in a didatics sequence that integrated activities with manipulation of certain digital objects developed by Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Universiteit Utrecht) and activities done without the manipulation of these objects. The aim ot this search was to go into how selected learning digital objects support the students to develop spatial skills. We presented, based on the experience analysis, coming to light the theory of Voyer, Voyer e Bryden (1995), Fischbein (1993), Grande (1994) e Gutiérrez (1991) that the three categories of spatial skills were explored and developed with these students, from the elaboration of a organized didatics sequence and form the interaction of the students with the porposed activities. That way, we observed it is possible to start a development work of these skills yet in elementary school.

Ce travail porte sur l’étude du développement des habilités spatiales comme rotation mentale, perception spatiale et visualisation spatiale à partir de l’utilisation des objets d’apprentissage numériques chez les apprenants de l’Enseignement primaire. Une expérience a été réalisée avec des apprenants de la sixième année, agée de 10 à 12 ans, qui n’avaient pas encore été exposés à des situations de manipulation des objets spatiaux. Cette expérience consiste en une séquence didactique qui a intégré des activités avec la manipulation de certains objets numériques développés par par Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Universiteit Utrecht) et des activités réalisées sans la manipulation de ces objets. Le but de cette recherche a été de vérifier comment les objets numériques d’apprentissage sélectionnés peuvent aider l’apprenant à développer des habilités spatiales. Nous avons montré, à partir de l’analyse de cette expérience, à la lumière de la théorie de Voyer, Voyer e Bryden (1995), Fischbein (1993), Grande (1994) et Gutiérrez (1991), que les trois catégories d’habilités spatiales ont été exploitées et développés chez ces apprenants, à partir de l’élaboration d’une séquence didactique organisée et d’interaction des apprenants avec les activités proposées. De cette façon, nous avons pu observer qu’il est possible de commencer un travail de développement de ces habilités même à l’Enseignement primaire. / Este trabalho aborda o estudo do desenvolvimento de habilidades espaciais, como rotação mental, percepção espacial e visualização espacial, utilizando-se de objetos digitais de aprendizagem nos alunos do Ensino Fundamental. Foi realizada uma experiência com alunos do sexto ano do Ensino Fundamental, com idades entre 10 e 12 anos, que ainda não tinham sido expostos a situações de manipulação de objetos espaciais. Esta experiência consistia em uma sequência didática, que integrou atividades com manipulação de determinados objetos digitais desenvolvidos pelo Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Universiteit Utrecht) e atividades realizadas sem a manipulação destes objetos. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi verificar como os objetos digitais de aprendizagem selecionados auxiliam o aluno a desenvolver habilidades espaciais. Mostramos, com base na análise da experiência, à luz da teoria de Voyer, Voyer e Bryden (1995), Fischbein (1993), Grande (1994) e Gutiérrez (1991), que as três categorias de habilidades espaciais foram exploradas e desenvolvidas nestes alunos, a partir da elaboração de uma sequência didática organizada e da interação dos alunos com as atividades propostas. Desta forma, observamos que é possível iniciar um trabalho de desenvolvimento destas habilidades ainda no Ensino Fundamental. / This work broaches the development study of spatial skills such as mental rotation, spatial perception and spatial visualization, using learning digital objects elementary-school-students. An experience was accomplished with 6th grade-elementary-school-students aged 10 to 12 years old, who had never been shown with situations of spatial objects manipulation. This experience consists in a didatics sequence that integrated activities with manipulation of certain digital objects developed by Freudenthal Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (Universiteit Utrecht) and activities done without the manipulation of these objects. The aim ot this search was to go into how selected learning digital objects support the students to develop spatial skills. We presented, based on the experience analysis, coming to light the theory of Voyer, Voyer e Bryden (1995), Fischbein (1993), Grande (1994) e Gutiérrez (1991) that the three categories of spatial skills were explored and developed with these students, from the elaboration of a organized didatics sequence and form the interaction of the students with the porposed activities. That way, we observed it is possible to start a development work of these skills yet in elementary school.

<p>  </p> <p>At the highest level, this dissertation is a case study on how bias can become encoded into the tools used to measure a construct and into the very definition of the construct itself. In this case, the construct is spatial ability. This dissertation focuses on the validity and accuracy of spatial tests and illuminates gender bias that is interwoven with the history of spatial testing. </p> <p><br></p> <p>First, I present a critical analysis of the graphical imagery used in spatial tests and explain why the imagery may be unclear and lead the tests to be inaccurate. I analyzed a collection of research in which researchers modified the stimuli used in spatial tests and found that the tests became easier when the imagery was made clearer. Thus, I conclude that imagery presentation impacts test difficulty, a likely example of construct-irrelevant variance which may reduce the validity of some spatial skills assessments and introduce bias in favor of individuals with past experience in engineering graphics, who historically are more likely to be men. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Second, I make a critical review of gender differential research in spatial skills. I argue that the construct of “spatial ability” has been co-constructed with gender, in that it has been devised in a manner influenced by gender beliefs. Because of a preexisting belief that men had better spatial skills than women, some test creators “selectively bred” spatial instruments to produce the expected gender differences. Such instruments, including the very popular Mental Rotation Test (MRT), cannot validly assess between-group differences. Biological or evolutionary explanations for sex differences in spatial ability lack empirical evidence. Instead, the differences are rooted in the shaping of the construct of “spatial ability” to create the expected gender patterns. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Finally, I describe an experiment designed to investigate the hypothesis that using a spatial test with content from a feminized discipline will show different patterns in gender differences. Female engineering students outperformed males on the Digital Apparel Spatial Visualization Test (DASVT), while the male engineering students scored higher than the female students on the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT:R). Students with relevant background experience scored better than students without experience on both assessments. The results demonstrate the shortcomings of using a single instrument to assess a concept as heterogeneous as spatial skills. I conclude this dissertation with a discussion of the implications of my work and recommendations for researchers and educators. </p>

Recent studies have shown that there may be evidence that children with reading difficulties have particular compensatory spatial ability, although the exact spatial ability has not been identified. This study used qualitative and quantitative methods to examine closely two spatial abilities, spatial visualisation (mental rotation from memory) and visual realism (three-dimensional drawing and construction ability) in students with reading problems and students with no problems. The aim was also to explore the question of whether students with spatial ability and reading problems were encouraged to use these strengths either in or out of school and whether such abilities could be identified in the early years environment. Equally, the question of motivational failure related to possible unrecognised potential, particularly in the area of non-verbal/spatial ability was also examined. This study used longitudinal case studies with five children and their mothers over a period of ten years. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Researcher observations as the teacher of the five children in their primary years provided additional evidence of their reading and spatial abilities at an early age. In addition, the study uses a Further Education College survey that examines spatial ability and reading problems in 133 post-16 year olds that provides the quantitative element of the study providing evidence about students with spatial abilities and their career choices. The data analysis revealed that the five case studies had largely overcome their reading problems due to early intervention strategies for reading together with encouragement and support outside school for their spatial abilities. Additionally, they have pursued careers, which for the most part, uses their spatial skills. The data analysis of the College survey showed that the link between spatial ability and reading problems was less secure, although there were a number of students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) who had high spatial abilities and this proved to be important from the point of view of identifying strengths alongside weakness in literacy, particularly in the early years at school. Early identification and acknowledgement of spatial ability as a perceived strength and used to support learning, as opposed to identification of reading problems, a perceived deficit, proved to be a key finding of the research.

Researchers conceptually recommend inquiry-based learning as a necessary means to alleviate the problems of learning but this study has embarked on practical implementation of inquiry-based facilitation and learning in Euclidean Geometry. Inquiry-based learning is student-centred. Therefore, the teaching or monitoring of inquiry-based learning in this study is referred to as inquiry-based facilitation. The null hypothesis discarded in this study explains that there is no difference between inquiry-based facilitation and traditional axiomatic approach in teaching Euclidean Geometry, that is, H0: μinquiry-based facilitation = μtraditional axiomatic approach. This study emphasises a pragmatist view that constructivism is fundamental to realism, that is, inductive inquiry supplements deductive inquiry in teaching and learning. Participants in this study comprise schools in Tshwane North district that served as experimental group and Tshwane West district schools classified as comparison group. The two districts are in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The total number of students who participated is 166, that is, 97 students in the experimental group and 69 students in the comparison group. Convenient sampling applied and three experimental and three comparison group schools were sampled. Embedded mixed-method methodology was employed. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies are integrated in collecting data; analysis and interpretation of data. Inquiry-based-facilitation occurred in experimental group when the facilitator probed asking students to research, weigh evidence, explore, share discoveries, allow students to display authentic knowledge and skills and guiding students to apply knowledge and skills to solve problems for the classroom and for the world out of the classroom. In response to inquiry-based facilitation, students engaged in cooperative learning, exploration, self-centred and self-regulated learning in order to acquire knowledge and skills. In the comparison group, teaching progressed as usual. Quantitative data revealed that on average, participant that received intervention through inquiry-based facilitation acquired inquiry-based learning skills and improved (M= -7.773, SE= 0.7146) than those who did not receive intervention (M= -0.221, SE = 0.4429). This difference (-7.547), 95% CI (-8.08, 5.69), was significant at t (10.88), p = 0.0001, p<0.05 and represented a large effect size of 0.55. The large effect size emphasises that inquiry-based facilitation contributed significantly towards improvement in inquiry-based learning and that the framework contributed by this study can be considered as a framework of inquiry-based facilitation in Euclidean Geometry. This study has shown that the traditional axiomatic approach promotes rote learning; passive, deductive and algorithmic learning that obstructs application of knowledge in problem-solving. Therefore, this study asserts that the application of Inquiry-based facilitation to implement inquiry-based learning promotes deeper, authentic, non-algorithmic, self-regulated learning that enhances problem-solving skills in Euclidean Geometry. / Mathematics Education / Ph. D. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)