Embodied, Enacted, and Multimodal: Exploring Science Teachers’ Metaphors in Authentic Classroom Contexts

Abstract

Over the past decades, science education research has extensively examined the role of metaphors in teaching and learning science. However, much of the existing research has focused on verbal manifestations of metaphors, thereby overlooking aspects of metaphors that may occur in non-verbal form. This study reconceptualises metaphors as dynamic performances rather than mere verbal expressions by integrating perspectives from embodied cognition, enactivism, and the social semiotic theory of multimodality. We conducted a systematic metaphor analysis coupled with a multimodal interaction analysis of video data collected from five science teachers over 16 science lessons in five lower-secondary schools in Norway. Our findings show that the teachers routinely employed metaphors when introducing abstract concepts and explaining complex processes. These metaphors were often expressed multimodally through speech, gesture, and material objects. We identified five distinct patterns in teachers' metaphorical performances: (1) layering and integration of multiple modes to create rich metaphorical ensembles; (2) using gestures to scale scientific phenomena to human experience; (3) enacting dynamic processes through embodied modes; (4) maintaining metaphoricity through modal anchors; and (5) orchestrating progression from embodied representations to abstract scientific concepts. Additionally, we identified specific functions that different modes serve in the enactment and communication of metaphorical meaning, extending our understanding of multimodal meaning-making in science education. These findings demonstrate that metaphors function both as figures of thought and figures of action in science classrooms. Finally, the patterns shed light on teachers' tacit expertise in multimodal metaphorical communication and offer a framework for fostering reflective awareness in teacher education.