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Producing Scientific Explanations in Physics—a Multimodal Account

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Abstract

This study focuses on the relationship between students’ use of language resources and their conceptualisation of phenomena in producing scientific explanations in physics. The objectives are to find out if there is a general model that describe the meaning-making process, the extent that this model is applicable to various branches in physics. Successfully constructed explanations were collected through think-aloud interviews for four key topics in physics—dynamics, thermal physics, electromagnetic induction and superposition. Analysis shows that students’ construction of scientific explanations in physics involves different levels of conceptualisation (macroscopic, theoretical and relational) and representations (iconic depiction, early symbols and formalism) in general. There are specific representational characteristics that are related to the nature of the concepts involved. Results show the importance of understanding how and why specific representational systems are related to particular scientific concepts and to the physical world.

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Funding

This study is funded by a research grant from the National Institute of Education (Singapore) (OER 13/13 JY). 

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  1. Singapore University of Social Sciences, 463 Clementi Road, Singapore, 599494, Singapore

    Jennifer Yeo

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  1. Jennifer Yeo
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  2. John K. Gilbert
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Correspondence to Jennifer Yeo.

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Appendix

Appendix

Excerpt 1. An example of an interpretive explanation of dynamics and its characterisation.

figure afigure a

Excerpt 2. An example of an interpretive explanation of thermal physics and its characterisation.

figure b

Excerpt 3. An example of an interpretive explanation of EMI and its characterisation.

figure cfigure c

Excerpt 4: An example of causal explanation of thermal physics and its characterisation.

figure d

Excerpt 5. An example of causal explanation of superposition and its characterisation.

figure efigure e

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Yeo, J., Gilbert, J.K. Producing Scientific Explanations in Physics—a Multimodal Account. Res Sci Educ 52, 819–852 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-021-10039-1

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