The effect of language on the coherence of children’s conceptions of force

IF 3 1区教育学 Q1 EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

Journal of the Learning Sciences Pub Date : 2023-05-27 DOI:10.1080/10508406.2023.2210138

Dina B. Masri, Tamer G. Amin

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background The coherence of learners’ pre-instruction conceptions has been debated for some time. Studies on conceptions of force, specifically, have produced very different results in different contexts around the world. In this study, an integrative theoretical framework linking semantic differences across languages to concept learning in childhood is proposed, motivating the hypothesis that language is a population variable that impacts the coherence of young learners’ conceptions of force. Method This study uses the same structured interview developed in a previous study by Ioannides and Vosniadoue but in a new context—the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—with three groups of elementary school children (7–12 years of age; n = 185): monolingual in Arabic; monolingual in English; and bilingual in Arabic and English. Findings The results support the hypothesis that language impacts the coherence of children’s conceptions of force with Arabic monolinguals exhibiting greater coherence than English monolinguals, and bilingual children exhibiting intermediate coherence. Contribution This paper provides evidence for the effect of semantic differences across languages and the phenomenon of lexical polysemy on the coherence of children’s initial conceptions of force. The relationship between the integrative theoretical framework proposed and other theories of conceptual change and its novel pedagogical implications are discussed.

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语言对儿童力概念连贯性的影响

摘要背景关于学习者教学前概念的连贯性问题一直存在争议。具体地说，对力概念的研究在世界各地的不同背景下产生了非常不同的结果。本研究提出了一个将不同语言之间的语义差异与儿童时期的概念学习联系起来的综合理论框架，并提出了语言是一个影响幼儿力量概念连贯性的人口变量的假设。方法:本研究采用了Ioannides和Vosniadoue在之前的研究中开发的相同的结构化访谈，但在一个新的背景下-沙特阿拉伯王国-对三组小学生(7-12岁;n = 185):阿拉伯语单语者;英语单语;阿拉伯语和英语双语。研究结果支持了语言影响儿童力量概念连贯性的假设，阿拉伯语单语者比英语单语者表现出更强的连贯性，双语儿童表现出中等的连贯性。本研究为跨语言语义差异和词汇多义词现象对儿童力的初始概念连贯的影响提供了证据。本文还讨论了这一综合理论框架与其他概念转变理论之间的关系及其新的教学意义。

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来源期刊

Journal of the Learning Sciences Multiple-

CiteScore

10.70

自引率

5.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： Journal of the Learning Sciences (JLS) is one of the two official journals of the International Society of the Learning Sciences ( www.isls.org). JLS provides a multidisciplinary forum for research on education and learning that informs theories of how people learn and the design of learning environments. It publishes research that elucidates processes of learning, and the ways in which technologies, instructional practices, and learning environments can be designed to support learning in different contexts. JLS articles draw on theoretical frameworks from such diverse fields as cognitive science, sociocultural theory, educational psychology, computer science, and anthropology. Submissions are not limited to any particular research method, but must be based on rigorous analyses that present new insights into how people learn and/or how learning can be supported and enhanced. Successful submissions should position their argument within extant literature in the learning sciences. They should reflect the core practices and foci that have defined the learning sciences as a field: privileging design in methodology and pedagogy; emphasizing interdisciplinarity and methodological innovation; grounding research in real-world contexts; answering questions about learning process and mechanism, alongside outcomes; pursuing technological and pedagogical innovation; and maintaining a strong connection between research and practice.