The use of classroom talk and multiple representations in teaching Science

Tang, K.-S. (2016). The interplay of representations and patterns of classroom discourse in science teaching sequences, International Journal of Science Education, 38(13), 2069-2095. doi:10.1080/09500693.2016.1218568

Background

In recent years, the role of representations and multimodality in classroom talk has been attracting attention in science education research. However, how classroom talk is used with specific types of representations has not been as closely examined over longer teaching sequences within the Singapore context.

Aims

The author aimed to study the relationship between classroom talk and the mode of representation used by teachers throughout the teaching sequence of a lesson unit.

Sample

Video data (about 25 hours) from one class (Grade 9) of each of two Physics teachers were used. There were 31 students (c0-ed) and 27 students (all girls).

Method

The study took a case study approach with video analyses of teaching sequences to explore the qualitative nature of the talk-representation relationship. An analysis of students’ written work and teacher interviews supported the video analysis. Using an ethnographic approach, teaching sequences were segmented into meaningful units, marked by shifts in the classroom in terms of topic change, interaction pattern or representation used. Coding of the classroom talk captured the extent to which the talk was authoritative (transmitting knowledge), dialogic (exploring knowledge and different perspectives) and interactive. The representations used were examined to determine if they were action-based, image-based or language-based.

Findings

There was a recurring pattern of shifts in representations aligned with the nature of classroom talk. For example, at the start of lessons, the teacher and students engaged in mostly dialogic interaction (discussions, experiments and hands on activities), with the use of gestures, apparatus and images. As the lessons progressed, the teacher adopted a more authoritative stance, helping students to work with the symbolic notation and written language of explaining. This was aligned with research that showed the need for instructional scaffolding to move students from their concrete experiences to abstract knowledge in order to support their learning.

Implications

As an exploratory study, the shifts observed in the study could not be generalised to every lesson conducted by Science teachers. Instructional goals of the lessons and the nature of the topic needed to be considered. The study, however, reinforced the importance of the role of representations and classroom talk in mediating student learning in Science, and how shifts in one aspect could relate to the other. Science teachers needed to be aware that while multiple representations could address student differences in learning styles, the appropriate sequencing and use of representations was equally important.

Original article retrieved from EBSCOHost.