Visuospatial Reasoning in Twentieth Century Psychology-Based Studies

Abstract

A critical literature review of psychology studies on spatial abilities and visual imagery especially those that linked with mathematics education is synthesised. Most of the literature is from an era last century when visuospatial reasoning (under the names of spatial abilities, visual imagery, and visual processing) was high on the research agenda. However, more recent studies are also included along with the concern that its importance has been forgotten under national testing regimes. Based on the literature review, a key classroom study demonstrated the diversity of visuospatial reasoning within the context of the classroom. The effectiveness of specific learning experiences focussing on visuospatial reasoning for geometry illustrated the importance of developing pictorial, dynamic, pattern, and action visuospatial reasoning. In particular, the problem-solving nature of the learning experiences showed how the mathematics learner attends to objects (mental and physical) and people, and uses visuospatial reasoning along with other cognitive processes, heuristics, and affect. As a result, the learner’s responsiveness provides a way forward in problem solving. Responsiveness in turn influences the immediate context forming a cycle of learning. By unpacking the studies to focus on visuospatial reasoning by “getting inside children’s heads”, it was shown how early geometry learning should focus on investigating, visualising, describing, and classifying with an emphasis on the concepts associated with parts and wholes of shapes and on orientation and motion of and within shapes. Subsequent studies in schools confirmed the effectiveness for visuospatial reasoning and geometry learning. However, the need for a closer recognition of cultural difference was becoming more apparent.