The phantom menace: spatial abilities and STEM outreach to fight underrepresentation in STEM

Abstract

Spatial abilities are an important, and often overlooked, component of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education with skills like spatial visualisation and mental rotation being important for technical professions such as engineering. Individual differences in spatial abilities have been reported throughout the years. Factors such as being female or having a low-socioeconomic status are linked with lower spatial abilities level. Spatial abilities training interventions have proven to be effective, with some showing improvements, not only in spatial abilities level, but also in the success and retention of students enrolled on STEM degree programmes, especially for women. In todays’ technological society, STEM outreach activities are a common method to promote STEM for children, showing them role models in the area, and improving their self-efficacy, sense of belonging and motivation to follow careers in STEM. At the same time, the underrepresentation seen in the area (e.g., women; LGBTQ+ community; ethnic minorities; and other marginalised groups) needs to be addressed in order to enhance the inclusive environment of these fields. This concept paper discusses review work in relation to underrepresented groups and how future spatial abilities studies should consider integrating the knowledge from past spatial abilities studies into STEM outreach activities. This integration can make spatial training available to more people, revealing itself to be a useful tool in helping diminish underrepresentation in STEM.