Department of Foundational Medical Studies, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan.
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Anat Sci Educ. 2021 May;14(3):317-329. doi: 10.1002/ase.2029. Epub 2020 Dec 5.
Interest in spatial ability has grown over the past few decades following the emergence of correlational evidence associating spatial aptitude with educational performance in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The research field at large and the anatomy education literature on this topic are mixed. In an attempt to generate consensus, a meta-analysis was performed to objectively summarize the effects of spatial ability on anatomy assessment performance across multiple studies and populations. Relevant studies published within the past 50 years (1969-2019) were retrieved from eight databases. Study eligibility screening was followed by a full-text review and data extraction. Use of the Mental Rotations Test (MRT) was required for study inclusion. Out of 2,450 screened records, 15 studies were meta-analyzed. Seventy-three percent of studies (11 of 15) were from the United States and Canada, and the majority (9 of 15) studied professional students. Across 15 studies and 1,245 participants, spatial ability was weakly associated with anatomy performance (r = 0.240; CI at 95% = 0.09, 0.38; P = 0.002). Performance on spatial and relationship-based assessments (i.e., practical assessments and drawing tasks) was correlated with spatial ability, while performance on assessments utilizing non-spatial multiple-choice items was not correlated with spatial ability. A significant sex difference was also observed, wherein males outperformed females on spatial ability tasks. Given the role of spatial reasoning in learning anatomy, educators are encouraged to consider curriculum delivery modifications and a comprehensive assessment strategy so as not to disadvantage individuals with low spatial ability.
几十年来，随着关联证据表明空间能力与科学、技术、工程和数学领域的教育表现相关，人们对空间能力的兴趣日益浓厚。这一研究领域和解剖学教育文献对此主题的看法不一。为了达成共识，我们进行了荟萃分析，以客观总结空间能力对多个研究和人群的解剖评估表现的影响。在过去 50 年（1969-2019 年）内，从八个数据库中检索到相关研究。经过研究资格筛选，接着进行全文审查和数据提取。研究纳入必须使用心理旋转测试（Mental Rotations Test，MRT）。在 2450 篇筛选记录中，有 15 项研究进行了荟萃分析。73%的研究（15 项中的 11 项）来自美国和加拿大，大多数（15 项中的 9 项）研究对象为专业学生。在 15 项研究和 1245 名参与者中，空间能力与解剖学表现呈弱相关（r = 0.240；95%置信区间为 0.09，0.38；P = 0.002）。空间和基于关系的评估（即实践评估和绘图任务）的表现与空间能力相关，而利用非空间多项选择题进行的评估的表现与空间能力不相关。还观察到显著的性别差异，即男性在空间能力任务上的表现优于女性。鉴于空间推理在学习解剖学中的作用，教育工作者应鼓励考虑课程交付的调整和全面的评估策略，以免使空间能力较低的个体处于不利地位。
