Know how to see and how to look. Development of spatial competence in compulsory secondary education students

Abstract

In Spain, education is based on the comprehensive development of students by competences. However, there is a competence that has not been included in the list of key competences and which is essential in training for everyone's professional futures and life: spatial competence. In this study, starting from the concept of spatial intelligence, it will be addressed its definition, the characteristics that make it up and how its degree of development can be assessed by creating a Measuring Spatial Competence Test. All of this, with the aim of implementing it into the current curriculum through activities destined to its development during the stage of Secondary Education. It will be established the parameters which these activities are to be based, and they summarise on: perception, visualisation, spatial motor development, spatial relations and representation techniques. It will also be proposed examples of activities to establish an educational research process bound to the proof of the existence, evaluation and improvement of spatial competence through already said activities and, in short, to the implementation of spatial competence in education.