A Spatial Approach to Instruction: Impact on Children's Achievement and Attitude

Overview  |  Learning Problem  |  Design Process  |  Theory & Rationale  |  Learning Solution  |  Assessment

We are endowed with a pair of eyes that help us see the world and make sense of things we see. What makes us understand the characteristics of things we see depends much on considering all three dimensions in space. It is easier for us to learn about something when its representation is close to reality, and most of the real-world living or non-living things are three-dimensional.

In a school or home setting, it is not possible or practical to see everything that is being taught; for example, the topography of a distant region, the rotation of planets, or the size and orientation of atoms in a molecule. Children’s attitude toward science plays an important role in their motivation and engagement and understanding of scientific concepts and phenomena. If they find a concept very difficult to understand, it is natural that they would develop a negative attitude toward that concept or even science as a whole. Similarly, if a concept is presented to them in an engaging way that is easy to understand, they would develop a positive attitude toward that concept and possibly toward science.

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