Spatial thinking predicts Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics achievement, yet is often absent from educational policy. We provide the first benchmarks of teachers’ usage and perceptions of spatial activities in practice in the reception classroom. Using a questionnaire study with educational professionals working in the reception (4-5 years) classroom in England (N=104), we found that spatial and numeracy activities were perceived as significantly less important, and were completed significantly less often, than literacy or life skills. Given the lack of focus on spatial skills in the curriculum guidance in England, rates of spatial activity use were encouragingly high and were broadly comparable to those of numeracy. Teachers’ anxiety levels were moderate for both spatial and mathematics domains. The findings highlight a need to elevate teacher’s understanding of the importance of developing children’s early spatial and numeracy skills, which may begin with efforts to reduce spatial and mathematics anxiety.

Spatial thinkingpredicts Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics achievement, yet is often absent from educational policy. We provide benchmarks of teachers' usage and perceptions of spatial activities in practice in the reception classroom (first year of primary school). In this questionnaire study of educational professionals working in the reception classroom in England (N = 104), we found that spatial and numeracy activities were perceived as significantly less important, and were reportedly completed significantly less often, than literacy or life skills. Despite the lower perceived importance of spatial skills in curriculum guidance in England, rates of reported spatial activity use were encouragingly high and were broadly comparable to those of numeracy. Teachers had moderate anxiety levels for both spatial and mathematics domains. The findings highlight a need to elevate teachers' understanding of the importance of developing children's early spatial and numeracy skills, which may begin with efforts to reduce spatial and mathematics anxiety.

This case study describes how high school students can participate in research, development, and testing of real-life solutions for society's most intractable problems. In modern warfare, civilians make up most of the casualties, and conflict-affected communities are often isolated and have only limited access to healthcare. Most surviving casualties have limb wounds from injury or surgery, and many of these become infected and require longterm treatment or amputation. In 2020, MedMagLabs and the Queensland Virtual STEM Academy partnered to engage high school students to co-develop and test methods and training resources that empower people in conflict-affected communities to produce medicinal maggots for highly efficacious and affordable wound care. Maggot therapy is the treatment of wounds with living fly larvae to remove dead tissue, to control infection, and to promote wound healing. As opposed to most citizen science, which mainly focuses on data collection and/or educational and awareness-raising outcomes, this project focused on the co-creation of knowledge and the delivery of tangible research outcomes.