Measuring time. Multilingual elementary school students' meaning-making in physics

Abstract

This chapter presents results from a study aiming at investigating multimodal classroom interaction and its contribution to multilingual students' meaning-making. The focus is on how science content is elaborated and negotiated through various semiotic resources. Data consist of video and audio recordings and digital photographs from a multilingual elementary school physics classroom during the unit "measuring time." Theoretically, the project takes its stance in social semiotics and pragmatist theory. Data are analyzed through systemic functional linguistics, multimodal analyses, and Dewey's principle of continuity. The results reveal that the teacher and the students were engaged in meaning-making activities involving a variety of semiotic resources with a potential to develop multilingual students' scientific literacy. However, some observations indicate classroom practices that might constitute a hindrance for meaning-making. The study has implications for ways of promoting scientific literacy, including learning science, competent action, and communicating through different modes.