Variation in semiotic mediation across different pedagogical contexts

Abstract

Abstract This article highlights the role of teacher talk as a semiotic, mediational means in fulfilling the Vygotskian calling of schools – the development of scientific concepts and higher cognitive functions. The author argues that the developmental importance of semiotic mediation points to the need to understand the developmental consequences of variation in semiotic mediation, which leads to the appropriation of different psychological tools. Given the importance of semiotic mediation in the development of higher cognitive functions, such as mathematical calculations and reasoning, this paper asks what happens to semiotic mediation when one changes the pedagogical context, in this case face-to-face mathematics lessons and computer-based mathematics lessons. Four teachers and 179 students in a rural Western Cape, South African school participated in the small scale exploratory case study. Findings indicate that there is significant variation in semiotic mediation across contexts, which calls into question the developmental impact this will have on children.