A central aspect of learning chemistry is learning to relate observations of phenomena to models of the sub-microscopic level of matter, and hence being able to explain the observable phenomena. However, research shows that students have difficulties discerning and comprehending the meaning of the sub-micro level and its models, and that practical work in its traditional form fails to help students to discern the relation between observations and models. Consequently, there is a strong call for new teaching activities to address these issues. This paper emerges from a growing number of studies showing that learning is supported when students are set to cooperatively create their own multimodal representations of science phenomena. In this paper, we explore the approach of letting students create their own stop-motion animation as a means to explain observations during practical work. The students’ work of producing a phenomenon in the laboratory and creating an animation was recorded (audio–video) to capture students’ verbal and non-verbal interactions and use of resources. Data was analysed using a thematic content analysis with a deductive approach aimed at identifying the aspects of chemistry content that are being reasoned. The analysis showed that the task enabled students to engage in reasoning concerning both the observations and the sub-micro-level models, and how they relate to each other. The task also enabled students to reason about features of the representation that are needed to make sense of both the observational and sub-microscopic aspects of a phenomenon, as well as reflecting upon the meaning of a model.

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Previous research suggests that students use metaphors when asked to explain digestive processes and nutritional uptake. In this paper, we describe the results of a study designed to gain a deeper understanding of how metaphors and anthropomorphisms are used by students when describing such processes. We applied analyses based on the systemic-functional grammar framework to 123 student responses to a question about nutrition on a Swedish national test in biology in order to identify, describe and analyse how students use metaphors and to understand the linguistic structure of those metaphors. We also considered how the metaphors are linked to metaphor systems and anthropomorphisms, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of the role of metaphors in this area. The results of our analyses provide important insights into how students understand digestion and nutrition and could provide the basis for improved teaching materials and methods for these important topics.

Previous research suggests that connecting organizational levels of biological systems is challenging forpupils. In the present study we investigated 122 pupils’ written responses to a question in a national biologytest concerning how nutrient molecules are adsorbed by the small intestine and transported to thebrain. We aimed to investigate what awareness the pupils have of the connection between the digestiveand circulatory systems. We mapped the pupil’s expressed knowledge by using content analysis whichwas performed in five steps including connection between the systems, organizational levels and scientificexplanations. We found that the most correct descriptions contained the highest number of connectionsbetween the digestive and the circulatory systems and linking of the different organizational levels. Themost correct descriptions included the highest proportion of the meso level. Therefore, knowledge at themeso level seems to be essential for grasping connections between macro- and submicro-level processes,and connections of digestion and circulation systems.

This dissertation studies upper primary school students' meaning-making of nutrient uptake. The papers in the dissertation are based on two sets of collected data. In the first, written answers to a national test in biology are studied. In the other, classroom teaching is studied in two schools with an animation about nutrient uptake as a context. In one of the schools is a teacher review held in connection with the animation. The overall analytical method is content analysis, more specifically organizational levels and systemic functional grammar (SFG) is used. In this thesis, the results are discussed from three perspectives. First, it is shown that scientifically correct answers and the connection between the digestive and circulatory system are associated with the number of connections between organizational levels and the presence of the meso level in the descriptions. Nutrient uptake is often described in terms of relocation (in a logistics system), with explicit and / or implicit actors where the process is often expressed metaphorically. Second, the results provide an insight into the reach of the metaphors (affordances and limitations) for students meaning-making of nutrient uptake by tracing where the metaphors come from. The animation uses metaphorical expressions to explain specific functions. The students used several metaphors, some were also taken up and used by their teachers. Third, the results of the dissertation show that students in both schools combine scientific terms with everyday expressions. The students who had a teacher review use more everyday expressions than those who have not. Furthermore, students show signs of scientific meaning-making at the meso level by using everyday expressions about the function of membrane proteins in terms of molecules that go through channels and have their own entrance into the blood.