{"title":"The effect of language on the coherence of children’s conceptions of force","authors":"Dina B. Masri, Tamer G. Amin","doi":"10.1080/10508406.2023.2210138","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"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.","PeriodicalId":48043,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Learning Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2023-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of the Learning Sciences","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2023.2210138","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
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.
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.