Jointly constructing semantic waves: Implications for teacher training

Abstract

This paper addresses how teachers can be trained to enable cumulative knowledge-building. It focuses on the final intervention stage of the Disciplinarity, Knowledge and Schooling (DISKS) project at the University of Sydney. In this special issue, Maton identifies 'semantic waves' as a crucial characteristic of teaching for cumulative knowledge-building; and Martin explores a 'power trio' of intertwining linguistic resources which contribute to the creation of these waves. This paper draws on these complementary theoretical frameworks from Legitimation Code Theory and Systemic Functional Linguistics to explore their implications for teacher training. Specifically, it links one Year 11 Biology teacher's experience of new metalanguage and explicit pedagogy, in teacher training, to first attempts at classroom Joint Construction, a form of collaborative text creation. This paper then raises important issues regarding collaborations concerned with classroom interaction and knowledge-building practices. AbstractThis paper addresses how teachers can be trained to enable cumulative knowledge-building. It focuses on the final intervention stage of the Disciplinarity, Knowledge and Schooling (DISKS) project at the University of Sydney. In this special issue, Maton identifies 'semantic waves' as a crucial characteristic of teaching for cumulative knowledge-building; and Martin explores a 'power trio' of intertwining linguistic resources which contribute to the creation of these waves. This paper draws on these complementary theoretical frameworks from Legitimation Code Theory and Systemic Functional Linguistics to explore their implications for teacher training. Specifically, it links one Year 11 Biology teacher's experience of new

Recovering Knowledge for Science Education Research: Exploring the “Icarus Effect” in Student Work

“…LCT also has direct and practical implications for teaching and learning, as evidenced by a growing number of pedagogic interventions drawing on the framework. Macnaught et al (2013), for example, reported on a study in which teachers were trained to model "semantic waves" (recurrent movements in the context dependency and degree of condensation of meaning) in classroom practice.…”

“…Our illustrative focus on one small part of the framework is for the sake of brevity. Nonetheless, this concept is being widely adopted in studies of education, including biology and history (J. R. Martin & Maton, 2013), ethnographic methods (Hood, 2014), design (Shay & Steyn, 2014), engineering (Wolff & Luckett, 2013), environmental science (Tan, 2012), jazz (J. L. Martin, 2012), journalism (Kilpert & Shay, 2013), and teacher education (Shalem & Slonimsky, 2010). As this suggests, LCT concepts such as semantic gravity have wide applicability, enabling research into knowledge practices in diverse contexts to cumulatively build on one another.…”

Semantiska vågor – elevers diskursiva rörlighet i gruppsamtal

“…Ett annat användbart begrepp grundat i systemisk-funktionell lingvistik är semantiska vågor [semantic waves] (Macnaught, Maton, Martin & Matruglio, 2013;Martin, 2013;Maton, 2013). Begreppet beskriver samtal och språkanvändning som en vågliknande rörelse mellan dels det mer vardagliga, konkreta och kontextnära, dels det mer förtätade och abstrakta.…”

“…En viktig utgångspunkt är uppfattningen att elevernas språkanvändning blir tydlig i deras gemensamma samtal och i situationer när de förflyttar sig i ett kontinuum mellan olika språkliga sammanhang . Vi argumenterar för att denna språkliga rörlighet kan synliggöras genom begreppet semantiska vågor (Macnaught, Maton, Martin & Matruglio, 2013;Martin, 2013;Maton, 2013). De frågor vi ställer oss är:…”

“…Därmed bidrar den också till att vidga och fördjupa förståelsen av elevers språkanvändning i naturvetenskaplig kontext. För att förtydliga elevers språkliga rörlighet mellan diskurser har vi valt att utgå från det mer övergripande begreppet semantiska vågor (Macnaught, Maton, Martin & Matruglio, 2013;Martin, 2013;Maton, 2013). I analysen används begreppet för att tydliggöra elevernas språk-användning utifrån en vågliknande rörelse mellan vardagliga och mer ämnesspecifika uttryckssätt.…”