A UCD PhD student examines the link between mathematical and spatial skills in children

Although the spatial-maths link is well established in the literature we still know little about why these two domains are related.

Shannon Rosbotham is a PhD student in the School of Psychology at University College Dublin (UCD) studying the intersection of developmental cognitive psychology and neuroscience.

He completed his BSc in psychology at Queen’s University Belfast before moving to Dublin to complete an MSc in neuroscience at UCD.

“I am amazed at how environmental factors can cause changes in the structure of nerves in the body and promote neuroplasticity. In particular, I am amazed at how this knowledge can be transferred to teaching complex tasks in a teaching environment,” he said.

“My PhD investigates the relationship between spatial awareness, the ability to see, process and reason about spatial information, and mathematical performance. My research also looks at how environmental factors, such as socio-economic status, can influence these relationships in children.”

He is an active member of the university’s cognition, development and learning lab, and the ‘baby lab’ – which aims to understand how children’s brains and behavior develop in the first six years of life.

What inspired you to become a researcher?

My mother is a custodian, so I grew up surrounded by children and was always fascinated by how they navigate and interact with the world around them.

However, it wasn’t until a final undergraduate project on cognitive navigation in children that I began to seriously consider a research career.

This process not only strengthened my interest in developmental psychology but also in experimental design, I began to ask how can we effectively capture and understand what a person is thinking or feeling?

This led me to complete an MSc in behavioral neuroscience. My master’s thesis examined how physiological responses, for example, heart rate and skin conductance, compared to self-report measures of emotional arousal and engagement.

During this time, I was also able to interview graduate researchers. Hearing about their research and experience strengthened my desire to pursue a career in education.

Can you tell us about the research you are currently working on?

My research focuses on understanding the relationship between children’s spatial skills and their math performance.

Although the spatial-maths link is well established in the literature we still know little about why these two domains are related.

Currently, I am recruiting participants ages 8-12 in hopes of finding that participants who do well on spatial tasks (for example, mental variables and learning maps) tend to favor certain problem-solving strategies.

To investigate this, we use eye-tracking technology, to see where participants are looking on the screen, and test whether similar gaze patterns emerge. We also have a small set of methods where we ask participants to self-report how they found the puzzles.

The broad objective of this work is to better understand the mechanisms underlying geospatial organization. By knowing the strategies related to effective performance, we hope to inform local interventions aimed at supporting mathematics learning.

Another aspect of my research focuses on whether local training may provide a way to reduce socioeconomic disparities in educational performance.

In your opinion, why is your research important?

Mathematics is an important skill for many people, we rely on it all the time in everyday life, for example shop discounts or preparing a recipe.

Furthermore, knowledge of mathematics also plays an important role in academic and career opportunities, as most universities in Ireland require a minimum grade of 06/H7 for entry.

However, despite its importance, many students remain concerned when it comes to mathematics content in schools. Additionally, research consistently finds evidence of a math achievement gap between children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and their more affluent peers. Together, this highlights the need for more research focused on supporting children who struggle in this area.

I think my research is particularly important because it examines a method that is not often used in the educational system to improve math skills. By improving our understanding of spatial and mathematical relationships, we may develop interventions to support learning and address educational inequities.

What commercial applications do you foresee for your research?

Although my research is focused on academic applications, there are potential commercial applications.

Since research has shown spatial training to be effective in developing math skills there is room for the development of evidence-based digital interventions, spatial toys and building block games.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a researcher in your field?

I would say that one of the biggest challenges I face as a development researcher is recruitment. Unlike most adult studies, which can recruit university students already on campus, developmental research requires parents to take time out of their day to bring their children to the lab.

Additionally, I think it often underrepresents children from different socioeconomic backgrounds, which is especially challenging in research like mine that investigates educational disparities. This also means that we risk not fully understanding the learning experiences of all children.

That said, I think social media has alleviated some of the challenges associated with recruitment, as it allows for a wider and more diverse audience.

Are there any common misconceptions about this area of ​​research?

I would say that another common misconception is that participating in research will give children a diagnostic or clinical answer.

However our studies are not designed to assess individual children, rather to give a general idea of ​​developmental patterns. Parents may also be concerned about privacy and confidentiality. If in fact the data is anonymized and the data is handled following the GDPR guidelines.

Overall I think most of these misconceptions can be resolved with clear communication and transparency. We provide parents with a detailed information sheet explaining the research process and how the data will be handled before they sign up and agree to participate.

What are some of the research areas you would like to see addressed in the coming years?

I would like to see more classroom-based studies that investigate how children solve math problems in a natural environment.

Although the lab is a good starting point for understanding the use of strategies, I think that studying how children solve problems in the classroom can provide more insight into the cognitive processes used in everyday learning.

I would also like to see more research examining whether and how teachers use spatial awareness in their classrooms. In doing so, we may better understand how spatial training can be better embedded in the primary school curriculum in Ireland.

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