Educational Interventions for Developing Spatial Reasoning in School Mathematics: A Systematic Literature Review of Empirical Studies
Keywords:
spatial reasoning; educational interventions; school mathematics; mathematics learning; systematic literature reviewAbstract
Spatial reasoning is increasingly recognised as a foundational cognitive competency underpinning geometry achievement and broader mathematical performance, yet a comprehensive synthesis of recent empirical studies on such interventions is lacking. This systematic literature review aimed to examine the characteristics, effectiveness, and thematic trends of empirical studies on educational interventions designed to develop spatial reasoning in school mathematics. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, and the Excellence in Research for Australia databases. A total of 20 peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2021 and 2026 satisfied the predefined inclusion criteria and were retained for synthesis. Findings indicate that technology-mediated interventions—including dynamic geometry software, augmented reality environments, and digital construction tools—were the most prominent approaches, consistently yielding measurable gains in spatial visualisation and mental rotation. Manipulative-based and activity?orientated interventions such as LEGO construction, origami integration, and outdoor geometry tasks also produced positive spatial outcomes, particularly in near-transfer domains. Although most interventions effectively improved students’ spatial reasoning abilities, evidence for transfer to broader mathematical achievement remained limited and domain dependent, with the strongest effects observed for geometry-proximate outcomes. These findings affirm that spatial reasoning is a malleable competency that is responsive to purposeful instructional design. The review offers evidence-informed implications for geometry curriculum development, classroom practice, and teacher preparation while identifying secondary-level instruction and Southeast Asian educational contexts as priority areas for future investigation.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.25.7.45
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