Centre for Spatial Reasoning

"In short, the relation between spatial thinking and STEM is a robust one, emerging for ordinary students and for gifted students, for men and for women, and for people who grew up during different historical periods."

 - Nora Newcombe in Picture This: Increasing Math and Science Learning by Improving Spatial Thinking (2010) 

The STEM SPACE Project is seeking to enhance the spatial reasoning skills of primary school pupils across Scotland using maths lesson plans which incorporate deliberate spatial reasoning activities.

In collaboration with MathsBURST, a set of lesson plans and activities developed in Australia, the Centre for Spatial Reasoning is leading on deploying spatialised maths learning across Scotland. This is achieved by connecting with local authorities to appoint Champions, who can recruit schools and teachers to participate in the roll-out of the project.

We currently have lesson plans and resources available to teachers teaching in any levels of P4 to P7 and composite classes.

Results from the past two years of the programme, which involved P4 and P5 pupils, have been very promising. Compared with business as usual control classes, pupils taking part in the programme have improved substantially more in spatial reasoning, maths and computational thinking assessments. Teachers have also praised the programme for its ease of use and adaptability, indicating that the pupils they see getting the most out of the programme are those who typically do not engage well with maths.

Why get involved:

• Results are showing approximately 15% annual gains in maths, spatial and computational thinking at increased scale
• Early data and feedback is pointing to greater classroom engagement across genders and socio-economic demographics
• Improved spatial reasoning supports greater enjoyment and attainment in STEM subjects
• Previous expertise is not required and training for teachers is provided.
• The programme is designed to sit alongside rather than replace the existing maths curriculum.
• We are liaising with Education Scotland to align and inform the Curriculum Improvement Cycle for Mathematics

We provide:

• A bespoke teaching platform with lesson plans, guidance and feedback
• Online and in person training for teachers
• Physical teaching kits delivered to your school including everything you need to deliver the lessons
• Drop-in Online Help Sessions
• Annual reports to track progress

Get Involved

The next classes will start in August 2026 and we are looking to engage with schools now.
Are you a Head Teacher or Primary Teacher with a P4-P7 class? Do you work for a local authority where STEM SPACE could be implemented? If so, or even if you are just curious about the programme, please reach out to the project team:
 spatialreasoning@glasgow.ac.uk

"I was really impressed with how quickly the children understood area using the ideas and resources. I was surprised at how quickly some were able to visualise the irregular shapes and it wasn't the usual children that were able to share their thoughts."
Teacher observation on STEM SPACE lessons