Building a web in science instruction: using multiple resources in a Swedish multilingual middle school class

Abstract

This study, on the unit measuring time, examines classroom use of different resources and their affordances for students' meaningmaking. The data, comprising audio and video recordings, fieldnotes, photographs and student texts, were collected during a lesson in a multilingual Swedish grade 5 classroom (students aged 11-12). In order to analyse the connections between the different resources, such as talking, modelling, using bodily action and practical equipment, reading and writing, and their affordances for meaning-making, we use pedagogical link-making, Dewey's principle of continuity and Hallidays Systemic Functional Linguistics. Findings show that in using these multiple resources, the teacher builds a web by linking various modes of representation, affording the multilingual students several opportunities for making meaning of the science content. Talk holds the prominent position and is linked to the other mediating resources, which in turn are linked to each other in all possible constellations. Science content is hereby mediated and reinforced through the web of multiple resources.

Negotiating science - building thematic patterns of the scientific concept sound in a Swedish multilingual lower secondary classroom

“…Third, 'social interaction strategies' as 'being funny, 'getting personal' (Lemke 1990) and 'drawing on daily life experience' were identified (Lin and Lo 2017). Fourth, 'strategies of bridging multiple resources' were acknowledged: 'shifting between everyday and academic language' and related to 'multiple resources' (Jakobson and Axelsson 2017).…”

“…Finally, all classroom activities were performed in Swedish and the analyses show that the teacher's use of multiple resources profoundly engaged the students in the physics content. The range of multiple resources made it possible for the students to manage and accomplish the tasks despite their varied language profiency, also shown by Jakobson and Axelsson (2017). There are examples from the data of students embracing and reactualizing different resources or visualizations when learning physics content.…”

“…In multilingual science classrooms, in particular, where the language proficiency varies, different resources illustrating the same phenomenon increase students' meaning-making opportunities. However, as Jakobson and Axelsson (2017) reported, due to the context and the choice of resource, learning might be obstructed or limited.…”

“…Another study examining bilingual grade 3-and 7-students' use of gestures in science class revealed how gestures were vital in the meaning-making process when language was limited (Ünsal et al 2018). Jakobson and Axelsson (2017) reported how a teacher built a web of resources when teaching science in Grade 5 (students aged 11-12 years) to scaffold students' meaning-making. However, the resources or combinations of resources may also constitute a hindrance for learning (Jakobson and Axelsson 2017).…”

“…Jakobson and Axelsson (2017) reported how a teacher built a web of resources when teaching science in Grade 5 (students aged 11-12 years) to scaffold students' meaning-making. However, the resources or combinations of resources may also constitute a hindrance for learning (Jakobson and Axelsson 2017). Zhang (2016) revealed gaps occurring both between multiple representations of science content and everyday and scientific language.…”