{"title":"“I think of it that way and it helps me understand”: Anthropomorphism in elementary students' mechanistic stories","authors":"Xiaowei Tang, David Hammer","doi":"10.1002/sce.21851","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>How anthropomorphic reasoning functions in scientific thinking has been a controversial topic. There is evidence it is problematic as well as evidence it can play productive roles, for scientists and for students. In science education, however, the prevailing view remains that it is an impediment. For this study, we have chosen examples of what we claim are productive instances in elementary students' reasoning, and we analyze them to understand how anthropomorphisms functioned to support scientific thinking. We argue that one productive role is to support temporary shifts from mechanistic reasoning to more general storytelling, in particular to fill gaps as students work to explain phenomena. That is, we propose that children may come to mechanistic explanation as a form of storytelling. Part of their value is in allowing students to “invent science” based on their existing knowledge, supporting them to understand science as sensemaking.</p>","PeriodicalId":771,"journal":{"name":"Science & Education","volume":"108 3","pages":"661-679"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Science & Education","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sce.21851","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
How anthropomorphic reasoning functions in scientific thinking has been a controversial topic. There is evidence it is problematic as well as evidence it can play productive roles, for scientists and for students. In science education, however, the prevailing view remains that it is an impediment. For this study, we have chosen examples of what we claim are productive instances in elementary students' reasoning, and we analyze them to understand how anthropomorphisms functioned to support scientific thinking. We argue that one productive role is to support temporary shifts from mechanistic reasoning to more general storytelling, in particular to fill gaps as students work to explain phenomena. That is, we propose that children may come to mechanistic explanation as a form of storytelling. Part of their value is in allowing students to “invent science” based on their existing knowledge, supporting them to understand science as sensemaking.
期刊介绍：
Science Education publishes original articles on the latest issues and trends occurring internationally in science curriculum, instruction, learning, policy and preparation of science teachers with the aim to advance our knowledge of science education theory and practice. In addition to original articles, the journal features the following special sections: -Learning : consisting of theoretical and empirical research studies on learning of science. We invite manuscripts that investigate learning and its change and growth from various lenses, including psychological, social, cognitive, sociohistorical, and affective. Studies examining the relationship of learning to teaching, the science knowledge and practices, the learners themselves, and the contexts (social, political, physical, ideological, institutional, epistemological, and cultural) are similarly welcome. -Issues and Trends : consisting primarily of analytical, interpretive, or persuasive essays on current educational, social, or philosophical issues and trends relevant to the teaching of science. This special section particularly seeks to promote informed dialogues about current issues in science education, and carefully reasoned papers representing disparate viewpoints are welcomed. Manuscripts submitted for this section may be in the form of a position paper, a polemical piece, or a creative commentary. -Science Learning in Everyday Life : consisting of analytical, interpretative, or philosophical papers regarding learning science outside of the formal classroom. Papers should investigate experiences in settings such as community, home, the Internet, after school settings, museums, and other opportunities that develop science interest, knowledge or practices across the life span. Attention to issues and factors relating to equity in science learning are especially encouraged.. -Science Teacher Education [...]
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