Abstract
Inquiry-based approaches to science education are central to recent South African primary and secondary school curricula, but have been found challenging to adopt in disadvantaged township contexts. It is therefore important to find ways of introducing inquiry-based approaches, where pupils are encouraged to investigate phenomena they are interested in and to engage in true dialogue, as opposed to teacher-led triadic dialogue. We typically experience thermal phenomena through the sense of touch, but infrared (IR) cameras provide an additional opportunity to experience heat-related phenomena through the visual sense. Previously, in a Swedish context, we have found that hand-held IR cameras allow for strong pedagogical affordances and inspire pupils to engage in inquiry in the area of thermal science. In the present case study, grade 7 and 8 pupils (13–14 years old) in two South African township schools were introduced to IR cameras during predict-observe-explain (POE) exercises on heat conduction. The results revealed that if pupils had a sufficient conceptual understanding of heat conduction beforehand, they were capable of engaging in true dialogue in relation to the exercises and interpreting the thermal camera visual imagery. However, if pupils did not show such understanding, it was tempting for them and the facilitator to resort to triadic dialogue.
Highlights
Many contributions to science education research literature over the last five decades have demonstrated that inquiry experiences can provide positive and meaningful opportunities for developing pupils’ conceptual understanding (e.g. Minner, Levy & Century, 2010)
This paper investigates how thermal cameras can be used as a semiotic resource for meaning-making of thermal phenomena
The findings of the study are presented in the form of analysis of selected dialogue excerpts where the first author introduces groups of learners to the practical investigation of heat conduction by means of an IR camera with the POE approach in the capacity of facilitator
Summary
Many contributions to science education research literature over the last five decades have demonstrated that inquiry experiences can provide positive and meaningful opportunities for developing pupils’ conceptual understanding (e.g. Minner, Levy & Century, 2010). Aspects of our previous work in a Swedish context (Haglund et al, 2015, 2016; Schönborn et al, 2014) have concerned the use of hand-held infrared (IR) cameras ( known as thermal cameras) in the development of practical activities for teaching thermal science. These activities aim to stimulate student inquiry and have been implemented at various educational levels spanning from pre-school through to tertiary contexts. With ideas such as temperature, heat, energy, and its relevance to topics such as climate change, it is an area of science education that transcends physics, chemistry and biology
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