ACT and STEM in Education: A Huge Gap

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Dr. Zaid Alkouri

Abstract

Spatial abilities have been shown to have significant input in nurturing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic expertise. However, little is done to systematically nurture STEM skills in education let alone investigate innovative approaches to help develop them in students. This paper utilized seminal work in the spatial abilities literature to investigate the extent to which ACT test scores for mathematics and science are used to recruit STEM students. The findings indicate that geometry-related items on the ACTs focus on static, two-dimensional space, recall, and interpretation of graphs. The tests highlight a big gap in nurturing and assessing the use of visual imagery in both mathematics and science. These findings underscore the need for including visual imagination skills in the school curriculum in general and in early childhood in particular.

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