Spatial Thinking in Astronomy Education Research

Research on how we learn astronomy, as well as in other STEM domains, has found that spatial thinking - the complex ways we reason about the spatial properties of objects - is central to developing expertise. Learning astronomy requires that we apply understanding of spatial relationships and use spatial information to explain observations and solve new problems. In this paper, I explore the importance of considering the challenges in spatial thinking when conducting research on how and why students learn astronomy. I also review trends in research suggesting how we can promote spatial thinking through the design of learning environments and curricula to improve astronomy learning.