2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Student Perceptions of Spatial Ability Importance in an Introductory Engineering Course

Presented at FPD: Complete Papers - Technical Skills in FYE

This complete research paper focuses on first-year students’ spatial ability and their perceptions of its importance. While prior studies linked strong spatial ability training to improved academic performance, retention, and problem-solving in STEM, less attention was given to students’ perceptions of its relevance to their chosen fields. This study employed a mixed methods approach, examining both measured spatial ability and student perceptions among students enrolled in the first-year introductory engineering course. A spatial ability test was administered alongside an open-ended survey question that asked students about the perceived importance of the spatial skill assessed by the test. Results indicated a significant variation in student spatial test scores across majors. Students who articulated the importance of spatial ability in their field tended to score higher than students who did not perceive any importance. Qualitative findings further revealed differing levels of understanding regarding the application and relevance of spatial skills. These results suggest a relationship between perception and performance, with implications for first-year curriculum design.

Authors

Mr. Ibrahim Nihad Awartani http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-6267-8253 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Ibrahim Awartani is an international doctoral student pursuing Engineering Education in the Department of Engineering and Computing Education and a Master's of Applied Research Methods at the University of Cincinnati. His BSc is a Mechanical Engineering degree from Philadelphia University in Jordan. His MSc background is a Master's of Sciences in Engineering Management from Eastern Michigan University. He has 5 years of project management experience in the construction and consulting fields, as well as yearly summer teaching experiences at Eastern Michigan University in Qinzhou, China. His research interests are in international curricula, assessment and measurement, accessibility, department climates and culture, spatial ability, and course intervention research.
Dr. So Yoon Yoon http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1868-1054 University of Cincinnati [biography]

Dr. So Yoon Yoon is an assistant professor in the Department of Engineering and Computing Education in the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati, OH, USA. Dr. Yoon received her Ph.D. in Gifted Education and an M.S.Ed. in Research Methods and Measurement with a specialization in Educational Psychology, both from Purdue University, IN, USA. She also holds an M.S. in Astronomy and Astrophysics and a B.S. in Astronomy and Meteorology from Kyungpook National University, South Korea. Her work centers on elementary, secondary, and postsecondary engineering education research as a psychometrician, data analyst, and program evaluator with research interests in spatial ability, STEAM education, workplace climate, and research synthesis with a particular focus on meta-analysis. She has developed, validated, revised, and copyrighted several instruments beneficial for STEM education research and practice. Dr. Yoon has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings and served as a journal reviewer in engineering education, STEM education, and educational psychology. She has also served as a PI, co-PI, advisory board member, or external evaluator on several NSF- and NASA-funded projects.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

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