Research Information System
THINKING SKILLS AND CREATIVITY, vol.61, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
Spatial scaling remains underrepresented in STEM curricula and has received limited attention from researchers. The limitations of STEM curricula in developing spatial skills and the need for new approaches to enhance spatial scaling in the context of spatial skills are evident. At this point, the implementation of orienteering activities can be beneficial in supporting children's spatial scaling and estimation skills, as well as developing skills such as map reading, decision-making, and strategy development. Therefore, this design-based research examined the performance of seventh-grade students regarding spatial scaling strategies, mathematical literacy, spatial orientation test, orienteering activities, and map drawing in the context of a year program regarding orienteering activities. 18 middle-school students enrolled in this program. The data analysis was approached from the perspective of the interpretive framework. The findings of this research revealed that this program had a significantly positive impact on middle-school students' spatial scaling skills from the aspects of mathematical literacy, spatial orientation, mapping skills, and developing desirable spatial scaling strategies to find a problem solution and orienteering checkpoints. Furthermore, several components of spatial scaling skills such as drawing maps, inferring maps, and determining indicators of angles, distance, and units were supported. This program led to a shift in students' spatial scaling strategies, transforming them from undesirable to desirable types, which was the most prominent finding. In the initial stages, most students could only employ an absolute strategy. By the end of the program, the students preferred to use relative or mental transformation strategies rather than absolute strategy. Moreover, the desired change in the participants' spatial scaling strategies significantly increased their mathematical literacy, orienteering performance, and mapping skills. This study broadens our understanding of the nature of spatial scaling, underemphasized by researchers, and its intertwined dynamics concerning other crucial skills in an interdisciplinary learning environment.