Visuospatial and Motor Ability Contributions in Primary School Spatial Geometry

Abstract

Geometry is a subject frequently associated with mathematical performance or science interest, as well as with reasoning and spatial skills. Within the school context, geometry achievement has been connected with visuospatial abilities but less frequently with motor skills, where the embodied cognition approach seems especially important to explain the emergence of complex cognitive representations based on motor processes. To date, few studies have assessed the contribution of both spatial and motor abilities to predict geometry performance. Thus, in this study, we aimed to examine the role of visuospatial (mental rotation and visualization) and motor skills (fine and gross motor skills) in spatial geometry achievement in primary schoolers. A total of 215 students from the second and third year of basic education participated in this study. The participants were enrolled in several tasks that involved spatial, motor and cognitive abilities. A multiple linear regression model showed that the geometry variable was explained by age, mental rotation and manual dexterity at 22%. The results suggest that geometry performance was supported by specific spatial skills (mental rotation) and fine motor (manual dexterity), but not gross motor ability in primary schoolers.