Talked Images: Talked Images: Process of Meaning Process of Meaning Construction in a Biology Construction in a Biology ClassClass
Cláudia Avellar Freitas - FAFI /FEMM Cláudia Avellar Freitas - FAFI /FEMM Maria Lúcia Castanheira- UFMGMaria Lúcia Castanheira- UFMG
Thematic School on Ethnography in Thematic School on Ethnography in EducationEducation
UCSB – OSU – UCSD - UFMGUCSB – OSU – UCSD - UFMGJanuaryJanuary
20062006
OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATIONOVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
1.1. The historical and theoretical The historical and theoretical context of the studycontext of the study
2.2. Questions addressed in this Questions addressed in this presentationpresentation
3.3. Analytical examplesAnalytical examples
4.4. Summary and discussionSummary and discussion
Theoretical background: Theoretical background:
the onset of a problem to studythe onset of a problem to study
Last 5 decades: growing variety and Last 5 decades: growing variety and quantity of images in sciences quantity of images in sciences textbooks. This aspect can be textbooks. This aspect can be viewed as a consequence of the fact viewed as a consequence of the fact that science cannot be constructed that science cannot be constructed or communicated only through or communicated only through verbal language. verbal language.
Some studies reveal that the quantity of Some studies reveal that the quantity of images is used as criteria by teachers images is used as criteria by teachers when choosing biology textbooks.when choosing biology textbooks.
Paradoxically, these studies also suggest Paradoxically, these studies also suggest that teachers make a limited use of such that teachers make a limited use of such images in the process of teaching. images in the process of teaching.
A literature review made visible that A literature review made visible that studies about the use of images in studies about the use of images in classrooms have not being developed. classrooms have not being developed.
Overarching question addressedOverarching question addressed
in this study:in this study:
How are images used in the process How are images used in the process of teaching scientific knowledge in of teaching scientific knowledge in
biology classes?biology classes?
Research settingResearch setting
A public school that attended 2318 A public school that attended 2318 students from elementary and high students from elementary and high school in 2001. This school is located in school in 2001. This school is located in the central area of a city of 200.000 the central area of a city of 200.000 inhabitants and functions in 3 shifts: inhabitants and functions in 3 shifts: morning, afternoon and night.morning, afternoon and night.
City economical change: new factories City economical change: new factories begin to require high school certificate.begin to require high school certificate.
A first year high school biology class: A first year high school biology class: 36 students (majority 17 years old; 2 36 students (majority 17 years old; 2 students 30 years old); they worked students 30 years old); they worked as salesman or housekeepers as salesman or housekeepers (minimal wage: R$ 300,00 = US$122) (minimal wage: R$ 300,00 = US$122)
The teacher was 37 years old. She has The teacher was 37 years old. She has taught in state schools for the last 10 taught in state schools for the last 10 years, had a degree in biology from a years, had a degree in biology from a major public university and worked major public university and worked during the morning and night shifts (a during the morning and night shifts (a total of 36 teaching hours/week).total of 36 teaching hours/week).
The field observation started at first The field observation started at first day of class, February 8day of class, February 8thth, and , and continued until the end of June. A continued until the end of June. A total of 37 hours of class were taped.total of 37 hours of class were taped.
Data setData set
Video record of classroom interaction;Video record of classroom interaction; Audio record of interviews with Audio record of interviews with
teacher and students;teacher and students; Field notes on classroom interaction Field notes on classroom interaction
and interviews with students and and interviews with students and teacher;teacher;
Xerox of notebooks, exercise sheets, Xerox of notebooks, exercise sheets, textbook, tests.textbook, tests.
Different types of analysis were Different types of analysis were developed in the present study to developed in the present study to address the overarching question address the overarching question
proposedproposed
Macro Macro analysis that inquired about:analysis that inquired about: How is the class organized?How is the class organized? When are images used? By whom?When are images used? By whom? What What kind of imageskind of images are used during are used during
the first year in a high school biology the first year in a high school biology classes?classes?
Kind of images:Kind of images:
what kind of biological concepts what kind of biological concepts were contemplated through images were contemplated through images in the class (content knowledge);in the class (content knowledge);
how these images could be how these images could be classified according to Kress and classified according to Kress and Leeuwen: conceptual and narrativeLeeuwen: conceptual and narrative
MicroMicro analysis that examined: analysis that examined:
How are the meanings of images How are the meanings of images discursively constructed by discursively constructed by participants?participants?
How are different semiotic means How are different semiotic means used by the teacher when explaining used by the teacher when explaining biological concepts?biological concepts?
Premises that guided the proposition of such Premises that guided the proposition of such questions and their examination:questions and their examination:
A view that classroom acts as a culture in A view that classroom acts as a culture in which members locally construct patterned which members locally construct patterned ways of engaging with each other through ways of engaging with each other through moment to moment interactions. (SBCDG, moment to moment interactions. (SBCDG, 1992; Green & Dixon, 1993)1992; Green & Dixon, 1993)
An understanding that these patterned An understanding that these patterned ways of interacting lead to particular ways ways of interacting lead to particular ways of doing, ways of knowing and to the of doing, ways of knowing and to the construction frames of reference that guide construction frames of reference that guide the interpretation of and participation in the interpretation of and participation in the group. (Green & Wallat, 1979; the group. (Green & Wallat, 1979; Gumperz, 1992 Gee & Green, 1999)Gumperz, 1992 Gee & Green, 1999)
An understanding of teaching and learning as An understanding of teaching and learning as inferential processes: as teachers and inferential processes: as teachers and students interact they rely on the students interact they rely on the interpretation of contextualization cues to interpretation of contextualization cues to produce meaning.produce meaning.
An understanding that meanings are not given An understanding that meanings are not given but constructed by participants as they but constructed by participants as they interact throughout the year. Meaning is interact throughout the year. Meaning is context dependent.context dependent.
(Gumperz, 1992; Bakhtin, 1992; Bloome & Egan-(Gumperz, 1992; Bakhtin, 1992; Bloome & Egan-Roberson, 1993; Erickson & Shultz, 1981)Roberson, 1993; Erickson & Shultz, 1981)
ImageImage
A complex of visual elements correlated A complex of visual elements correlated to each other that represents reality to each other that represents reality and can be recognized as a unit. An and can be recognized as a unit. An image can be constituted by visual and image can be constituted by visual and verbal elements.verbal elements.
(Lemke, 1998; Martins, 2000; Kress & (Lemke, 1998; Martins, 2000; Kress & Van Leewen, 1990)Van Leewen, 1990)
General Event MapGeneral Event Map
TimeTime Sub eventSub event EventEvent InteractionalInteractional
SpaceSpaceImagesImages
WheWhenn
Describe Describe subgrousubgroup of p of related related activitieactivitiess
Identify Identify groups of groups of thematicalthematically tied ly tied activities activities
Describe Describe how how participantparticipants were s were organizedorganized
Types Types of of imageimagess
General patterns identifiedGeneral patterns identified
Class was developed in 3 major Class was developed in 3 major events:events:OPENINGOPENING
Whole ClassWhole Class
T/I students.T/I students.
- Attendance- Attendance
- Checking previous content in - Checking previous content in students’ notebook.students’ notebook.
CONTENT CONTENT EXPOSITIONEXPOSITION
Whole ClassWhole Class
- Stating topic to be taughtStating topic to be taught- Explaining topicExplaining topic- Drawing images in the Drawing images in the blackboardblackboard
CLOSINGCLOSING
Whole ClassWhole Class
- Giving homeworkGiving homework- Getting stuff together, Getting stuff together, dismissing students, leaving dismissing students, leaving classroomclassroom
Frequency of use of imagesFrequency of use of images
Standardized images of biological Standardized images of biological concepts were used in a total of concepts were used in a total of 77.4% of classes. 77.4% of classes.
From thoseFrom those
29.63% appeared in books and 29.63% appeared in books and exercises exercises sheets, tests (WG; I)sheets, tests (WG; I)
70.37% were drawn in the black board 70.37% were drawn in the black board by by teacher (WC- T)teacher (WC- T)
The teacher drew 1 to 4 images a The teacher drew 1 to 4 images a day (average of 2.3 images/day).day (average of 2.3 images/day).
Images could be available on the Images could be available on the board from 12 seconds to 18 board from 12 seconds to 18 minutes. Most of them stayed on the minutes. Most of them stayed on the board between board between 6 to 8 minutes.6 to 8 minutes.
Digestive system and its organsDigestive system and its organs
T: here is the mouth (T: here is the mouth (T. points to imageT. points to image))
this is the nose this is the nose ((T puts hand on her faceT puts hand on her face))
so the masticated foodso the masticated food
falls into the pharynxfalls into the pharynx
this part here is the pharynx (this part here is the pharynx (T. points to T. points to image)image)
St: pharynxSt: pharynx
T: here is the esophagusT: here is the esophagus
Digestive system and its organsDigestive system and its organs
- Teacher draws one organ and the Teacher draws one organ and the system: a conceptual image.system: a conceptual image.
- The talked image becomes a model to The talked image becomes a model to understand part- whole relationship of understand part- whole relationship of a system (analytical).a system (analytical).
- Teacher names and identifies parts of Teacher names and identifies parts of the system by using different semiotic the system by using different semiotic systems: gestures, systems: gestures, deixisdeixis, drawing on , drawing on the board. (Descriptive function)the board. (Descriptive function)
Energy transferEnergy transfer
Image used by ecologistsImage used by ecologists
T: food chain ok?
And these consumers T. draws first doted arrow.
Food Chain
producers consumers
and producers T. draws second doted arrow.
Food Chain
producers consumers
...Will die T. writes word decomposers.
Food Chain
producers consumers
decomposers
… and be decomposed
… decomposers
Representing selected elements of energy transfer model
Sea weed
P
Herbivore fish C1º
Piranha C2º
Food Chain
Redundancy and complementarity
237 here
238 i have a food chain
239 look
240 you have the
241 producers and consumers
T. points to elements following the direction of arrows.
242 it is understood
243 that the decomposers are here
T. moves hand back to the beginning of chain. She passes her hand under the drawing.
Contradiction between semiotic Contradiction between semiotic meansmeans
253 consumer of first order
254 or primary consumer
255 why?
256 because he is feeding
257 directly from? … T. points to fish and moves hand in the opposite direction of arrow
258 Producers
259 ok?
260 all primary consumers …
261 eat producers
269 piranhas in this case
270 are what?
271 s: consumer
272 t: second order consumer
273 because he feeds from T. points to piranha and moves hand in the opposite direction of arrow.
274 a first order consumer
Different semiotics means are Different semiotics means are explored by participants in the explored by participants in the process of producing and using process of producing and using images in the classroom: verbal (oral images in the classroom: verbal (oral and written language), gestures, and written language), gestures, drawings.drawings.
The result of exploring different The result of exploring different semiotic means can be semiotic means can be complementary by redundancy: complementary by redundancy: gestures and talk reinforce potential gestures and talk reinforce potential meaning of elements visually meaning of elements visually represented in the image.represented in the image.
The result of exploring different The result of exploring different semiotic means can also be semiotic means can also be contradictory: what is visually contradictory: what is visually represented is the opposite of what is represented is the opposite of what is signaled by gestures or words.signaled by gestures or words.
The use of scientific representation The use of scientific representation implicated in the omission of original implicated in the omission of original elements or its substitution by other elements or its substitution by other means (the constraints of the context of means (the constraints of the context of use).use).
Images used in the classroom are related Images used in the classroom are related to different kinds of contexts: to different kinds of contexts: academic/scientific: where the concepts academic/scientific: where the concepts and images come from; education and images come from; education department orientation: which topics department orientation: which topics should be addressed and in which order.should be addressed and in which order.
The analysis shows that the meaning The analysis shows that the meaning of an image is not simply in the of an image is not simply in the image itself – it depends on the image itself – it depends on the discourse that is produced about the discourse that is produced about the image presented to students. image presented to students.
(Context dependent/ constructed (Context dependent/ constructed “shared” meanings: same “shared” meanings: same understanding?)understanding?)
The fact that students have to copy The fact that students have to copy the images in their notebooks the images in their notebooks increased the changes of them not increased the changes of them not processing the different semiotic processing the different semiotic means explored by the teacher. means explored by the teacher.
What sense do students make of What sense do students make of images used in the classroom?images used in the classroom?
Since images are such central to the Since images are such central to the teaching process in biology classes, it teaching process in biology classes, it seems necessary to address with seems necessary to address with teachers what is implied in its teachers what is implied in its transposition from the scientific world to transposition from the scientific world to the classroom. the classroom.
It is necessary to make explicit the It is necessary to make explicit the grammar used in the production of grammar used in the production of images to help students to understand images to help students to understand the role of this semiotic mean in the the role of this semiotic mean in the construction of scientific knowledge.construction of scientific knowledge.
