Storybook driven design for enhancing spatial ability in early childhood: a lesson study approach.

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Title: Storybook driven design for enhancing spatial ability in early childhood: a lesson study approach.
Authors: Mishra, Rohit1 (AUTHOR) r.mishra@tudelft.nl, Klapwijk, Remke M.1 (AUTHOR) R.M.Klapwijk@tudelft.nl, de Vries, Marc J.1 (AUTHOR) M.J.deVries@tudelft.nl, Spandaw, Jeroen2 (AUTHOR) j.g.spandaw@tudelft.nl
Source: International Journal of Technology & Design Education. Mar2026, Vol. 36 Issue 1, p7-40. 34p.
Subjects: Spatial ability, Teacher development, Qualitative research, Curriculum, Lesson planning, Early childhood education
Abstract: This study investigates the integration of spatial thinking into early childhood education through story-driven design activities and the use of a Lesson Study approach. Conducted in six Irish junior and senior infant classrooms across two schools with ten teachers, this research aimed to address the following research question: How can the Lesson Study approach support early childhood teachers in deepening their knowledge of their pupils, changing teaching practices, and impacting teacher self-efficacy, particularly in relation to spatial reasoning during story-based design activities? Qualitative data from classroom observations and teacher discussions indicate that teachers adapted their lesson strategies based on deeper insights into their students' spatial thinking. They improved the development of spatial design assignments and demonstrated enhanced self-efficacy in conducting spatialized design lessons. Lesson Study dynamics enhance teacher awareness related to design and technology projects, foster creative task identification, and challenge teacher perceptions. Our findings suggest that the Lesson Study processes implemented in this study could motivate teachers to integrate spatial thinking into their classrooms while still adhering to their curriculum. This approach effectively integrates spatial thinking into the curriculum, providing authentic design scenarios for pupils to develop spatial reasoning. These outcomes underscore the potential of Lesson Study for teacher professional development in early childhood spatial and design education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of International Journal of Technology & Design Education is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Storybook driven design for enhancing spatial ability in early childhood: a lesson study approach.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22International+Journal+of+Technology+%26+Design+Education%22">International Journal of Technology & Design Education</searchLink>. Mar2026, Vol. 36 Issue 1, p7-40. 34p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spatial+ability%22">Spatial ability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+development%22">Teacher development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Qualitative+research%22">Qualitative research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum%22">Curriculum</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lesson+planning%22">Lesson planning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+childhood+education%22">Early childhood education</searchLink>
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  Data: This study investigates the integration of spatial thinking into early childhood education through story-driven design activities and the use of a Lesson Study approach. Conducted in six Irish junior and senior infant classrooms across two schools with ten teachers, this research aimed to address the following research question: How can the Lesson Study approach support early childhood teachers in deepening their knowledge of their pupils, changing teaching practices, and impacting teacher self-efficacy, particularly in relation to spatial reasoning during story-based design activities? Qualitative data from classroom observations and teacher discussions indicate that teachers adapted their lesson strategies based on deeper insights into their students' spatial thinking. They improved the development of spatial design assignments and demonstrated enhanced self-efficacy in conducting spatialized design lessons. Lesson Study dynamics enhance teacher awareness related to design and technology projects, foster creative task identification, and challenge teacher perceptions. Our findings suggest that the Lesson Study processes implemented in this study could motivate teachers to integrate spatial thinking into their classrooms while still adhering to their curriculum. This approach effectively integrates spatial thinking into the curriculum, providing authentic design scenarios for pupils to develop spatial reasoning. These outcomes underscore the potential of Lesson Study for teacher professional development in early childhood spatial and design education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
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  Data: <i>Copyright of International Journal of Technology & Design Education is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1007/s10798-025-09986-x
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        Text: English
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        PageCount: 34
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      – SubjectFull: Spatial ability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Qualitative research
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      – SubjectFull: Curriculum
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      – SubjectFull: Lesson planning
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      – SubjectFull: Early childhood education
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      – TitleFull: Storybook driven design for enhancing spatial ability in early childhood: a lesson study approach.
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            NameFull: Mishra, Rohit
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            NameFull: Klapwijk, Remke M.
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            NameFull: de Vries, Marc J.
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              M: 03
              Text: Mar2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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