ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Educ.
Sec. STEM Education
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1613317
The Language of Folding: Increasing Spatial Language and Decreasing Mathematics Anxiety through Origami
Provisionally accepted
Lisa M. Ridgley1,2*
David Geary3
Yaoran Li4
Perla Myers1,2*Rebecca Ottinger2
Danielle N Silvaggio1,2
Zehra Ünal3
Vitaliy Popov5- 1University of San Diego, San Diego, United States
- 2Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education, San Diego, California, United States
- 3University of Missouri, Columbia, Kentucky, United States
- 4Apple (United States), Cupertino, California, United States
- 5University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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Although crucial for mathematical problem solving and long-term STEM achievement, visuospatial skills remain a significant challenge for many students in the United States. Therefore, it is critical to explore how spatial skill interventions can be integrated into mathematics curriculum. This research examines the effects of Project VisMO, a hands-on, origami-based curriculum and after-school program, on elementary school children's visuospatial skills, mathematical competencies, and mathematics anxiety and attitudes. An initial randomized control trial (RCT) of the online VisMO program, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic with 179 elementary students, demonstrated promising results in enhancing spatial vocabulary and reducing mathematics anxiety. Two follow up studies of the in-person VisMO program were conducted, featuring a 5-week and a 12-week intervention. Both studies confirmed improvements in spatial vocabulary, a reduction in math anxiety, and potential geometry gains. We discuss the need for further research on the in-person program and the importance of designing structured professional development for educators to enhance their self-efficacy and knowledge of incorporating visuospatial interventions into their teaching.
Keywords: Visuospatial skills 1, mathematics 2, Origami 3, Spatial language 4, Mathematics attitudes 5
Received: 17 Apr 2025; Accepted: 11 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ridgley, Geary, Li, Myers, Ottinger, Silvaggio, Ünal and Popov. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Lisa M. Ridgley, University of San Diego, San Diego, United States
Perla Myers, Jacobs Institute for Innovation in Education, San Diego, California, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.