Abstract
Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine middle school students’ gestures during a geological field trip. Previous research on gestures has focused on understanding human development and exploring students’ gestures can be helpful in improving understanding of students’ communication in learning environments. In this study, middle school students from a gifted education center engaged in fieldwork along the Hantan-River to learn about and explain river formation processes. Using hermeneutics to interpret meaning from student gestures, researchers identified three types of frequently used gestures: deictic, imageable, and depictive, which served either a social communication purpose (explaining, asking, insisting, and giving evidence) or science communication purposes (visualization and temporal or spatial). Researchers offer implications about the role of gestures for helping novice learners communicate geoscience content and about the potential for gestures to be used by educators as an instructional resource for learners.
Highlights
One of the most important goals of science education is to develop scientific literacy (NRC, 1996)
5.1 Types of Students’ Gesture Occur in Geological Field Trip Our analysis revealed there were three commonly occurring gesture types that occurred during the field trips
Much previous research has focused on upper-level geology students, such as undergraduate geology majors and geology faculty, who have access to a great deal of geological background knowledge to draw from as a resource
Summary
One of the most important goals of science education is to develop scientific literacy (NRC, 1996). Korea’s local governments have been making efforts to utilize the geological features of each region to help with tourism and economic efforts, including the 2015 certification of the Hantan-River National Geopark (Environmental Agency No 2015–63) and the 2018 promotion of the Mudeung Mountain National Geopark in Gwangju. These efforts of local governments to promote local economic revival and the development of tourism based on geology may be very suitable for aesthetic appreciation for all people. In this study we would like to focus on geology learning using feasible topics in geoscience education
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