Affordances of Physical Objects as a Material Mode of Representation: A Social Semiotics Perspective of Hands-On Meaning-Making

Autor/inn/en	Tang, Kok-Sing; Jeppsson, Fredrik; Danielsson, Kristina; Bergh Nestlog, Ewa
Titel	Affordances of Physical Objects as a Material Mode of Representation: A Social Semiotics Perspective of Hands-On Meaning-Making
Quelle	In: International Journal of Science Education, 44 (2022) 2, S.179-200 (22 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Tang, Kok-Sing) ORCID (Jeppsson, Fredrik) ORCID (Danielsson, Kristina)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0950-0693
DOI	10.1080/09500693.2021.2021313
Schlagwörter	Science Instruction; Hands on Science; Teaching Methods; Equipment; Manipulative Materials; Semiotics; Elementary Secondary Education; Postsecondary Education; Foreign Countries; Verbal Communication; Nonverbal Communication; Sweden; Singapore; Australia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Hilfsmittel; Semiotik; Post-secondary education; Tertiäre Bildung; Ausland; Non-verbal communication; Nonverbale Kommunikation; Schweden; Singapur; Australien
Abstract	This paper examines the affordances of physical objects (e.g. apparatus, models, manipulatives) as they were used by teachers and students to make meaning in coordination with their speech and gestures. Despite the pervasive use of physical objects as material and tactile resources in hands-on investigations or demonstrations, there have been few attempts to analyze their role and function in meaning-making, in the same way, that researchers have previously done for other modes of representation such as speech, written text, diagram and gesture. Using social semiotics as a theoretical framework, we conceptualise physical objects as a semiotic mode with a particular affordance for making meaning that involves embodied actions and manipulation of tools. Based on a multimodal discourse analysis of numerous classroom situations, we illustrate how physical objects as a mode have four unique affordances for meaning-making in science classrooms. These affordances are: (a) enacting material interaction, (b) providing evidential meaning, (c) orientating three-dimensional spatial meaning and (d) sensitising experiential meaning. The implication of why we should use physical objects to support or value-add science meaning-making is then discussed. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01