The Spatial Aspect of Designing: Opportunities, Challenges, and Conjectures on Engaging Pupils in Spatial Thinking Through Design Education

This perspective paper explores the role of spatial thinking in design practices and education by synthesizing insights from qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies from design education, STEM education, and cognitive psychology. It reviews the mixed results found regarding the relationship between spatial ability and design performance and delves into the intricacies involved in evaluating spatial ability and design ability. To obtain a holistic understanding of the interplay between spatial thinking and design practices, this paper outlines several areas for further exploration, including (1) probing not just expert designers but also young, novice designers’ use of spatial thinking in design, (2) examining the nuances in assessing spatial ability and design ability by taking the open-ended nature of design tasks into consideration, and (3) investigating ways to utilize untapped opportunities in design to foster the growth of pupils’ spatial and design abilities, enabling them to create innovative and functional solutions to real-world STEM challenges. Furthermore, this paper highlights the interdisciplinary nature of design that can be leveraged to develop pupils’ spatial thinking alongside other cognitive skills, generate transferable knowledge applicable to other disciplines, and contribute to the multifaceted discussion on spatial thinking’s role in STEM learning.