Document Type
Theses, Masters
Master Thesis
Master thesis
Disciplines
Electrical and electronic engineering
Abstract
Students’ decisions to pursue education and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are shaped by an interplay of cognitive, social, and motivational factors. Spatial ability is among the most reliable predictors of STEM success, yet less is known about how it relates to students’ STEM attitudes and aspirations, and whether visuospatial working memory (VSWM) explains this relationship. This study tested the hypotheses that (a) stronger spatial abilities and VSWM would be associated with more positive STEM attitudes and stronger STEM aspirations, and (b) VSWM would mediate the relationship between spatial abilities and STEM attitudes/aspirations, while examining the influence of gender, socioeconomic background, and national context. The research included 763 public-school students from Greece and Ireland across two educational stages (Grade 6 and Grade 10). Spatial visualization and mental rotation were measured using the Paper Folding Test and the Primary Mental Abilities-Spatial Relations (PMA-SR) test. Visuospatial working memory (VSWM) was assessed using the forward Corsi Block task. Students’ STEM attitudes and aspirations were measured with the Student Attitudes toward STEM (S-STEM) questionnaire, capturing attitudes and intentions about STEM subjects and pathways. Higher spatial and visuospatial working memory performance were associated with more positive STEM attitudes and stronger STEM aspirations. Mediation analyses showed that VSWM statistically mediated the relationship between spatial abilities and STEM attitudes/aspirations, suggesting that visuospatial working memory is a pathway linking spatial cognition with motivational STEM outcomes. Socioeconomic background, particularly parental education, was related to cognitive and attitudinal outcomes, and patterns varied across grade levels and national contexts. The findings highlight the roles of cognitive, motivational, and contextual factors in STEM engagement and suggest that supporting spatial and visuospatial working memory skills may help strengthen STEM participation across educational settings.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21427/2k7d-m291
Recommended Citation
Malkogeorgou, Styliani, "The role of spatial abilities in STEM learning and the influence of individual differences" (2026). Masters. 62.
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/engmas/62
Creative Commons License
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Document Type
Master thesis