Background: the ability to mentally manipulate 3D objects and understanding the relationships between structures is essential in many fields of medical and dental specialties. This scoping review of the literature on spatial ability in medical and dental education was conducted to provide a map of the literature and identify where gaps still exist for future research.Methods: the study was conducted using a scoping review method with guidelines from the Arksey and O'Malley framework to identify literatures related to the research topic. Searches was performed from February to May 2021 in PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL and Google Scholar using keywords related to spatial ability, medical education and dental education. Literatures was also identified using snowballing technique. PRISMA-ScR analysis for study selection was performed.Results: fifteen articles were selected for review. Spatial ability correlates with performance in studying anatomical knowledge of medicine and dentistry, and surgery. 3D anatomical models are more effective when conveying complex spatial relationships than traditional 2D models. The Mental Rotation Test (MRT) is the most widely used test for measuring spatial abilities. The results of the measurement of spatial ability showed the superiority of males over females.Conclusion: spatial ability and learning in medical and dental education provide mutual benefits for both aspects. Additional spatial abilities module may be added to medical and dental education curricula to improve learning success
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.