Évolution du sens que les élèves donnent aux mots dans la construction de connaissance relative aux gaz en classe de seconde

National audienceCette recherche s'inscrit dans le cadre d'un travail en didactiques des sciences physiques, s'intéressant aux rôles que joue un enseignement à propos des gaz, sur les processus d'apprentissage des élèves de seconde.Ce travail a été mené en lien avec la conception d'une séquence d'enseignement sur les gaz pour des élèves de seconde. Cette séquence a été réalisée par un groupe de recherche et développement réunissant des enseignants de lycée et des chercheurs en didactique.Pour l'enseignement des gaz, un groupe de 6 enseignants et 2 chercheurs a élaboré une séquence d'une durée de 3 semaines : 3 TP (1h30) et 3 cours en classe entière (1h) (disponible sur le site francophone pégase http://nte -serveur.univ -lyon1.fr/pegase/ et sur le site de l'académie de Lyon http://www.ac-lyon.fr)

Le concept de masse en physique : quelques pistes à propos des conceptions et des obstacles

International audienceCe travail propose de pointer certaines difficultés que rencontrent les élèves lors de l'enseignement du concept de masse en classe. Pour cela, H s'appuie sur l'approche historique de ce concept ainsi que sur l'analyse des programmes, pour bâtir un questionnaire, proposé à des élèves allant de la classe de troisième au DEUG et à des enseignants de lycée. L'analyse de ce questionnaire a permis de mettre en évidence un certain nombre d'obstacles et de conceptions liés au concept de masse, ainsi que de pouvoir suivre leur évolution à travers les différents stades de l'enseignement

CONTRIBUTIONS OF TALK, GESTURE AND SALIENT ELEMENTS OF THE SETTING TO ANALYSE STUDENT'S IDEAS IN SCIENCE THROUGH VIDEO

International audienceOver the past two decades, video analyses of science classroom have developed tools to describe, model and understand teaching and learning processes. Following the activity theory approach (Leontiev, 1978) using tools adapting from communication analysis (Givry & Roth, 2006), we propose to show what are the contributions of the interplay of talk, gestures and semiotic resources in the setting to analyze students' conceptualization. Our database consists of questionnaires, interviews and classroom video data and written worksheets of 14 students at the upper-secondary school level (Grade 10 [15-year-old students]) during a one-month teaching sequence about gas. We use Kronos software to code videos through several levels : Tasks (Macro), actions (Meso), meaning-making (Micro). Based on semiotic resources contained in language, we reconstruct in great detail all the ideas about gas expressed by students during the entire teaching sequence. Our results show (a) that we need to analyze simultaneously talk, gesture and salient element of the setting to reconstruct the meaning performed by student during communication acts. (b) how the interplay of talk, gestures and salient elements could be pertinent to describe the construction and the stabilization of the meaning of the word quantity performed by a student. However, some research already shows that prosodic features of speech (intensity, pitch, pitch contours) are further semiotic resources used in classroom conversations (Roth, 2005). Future research will show whether and how such additional resources further improve our unit of analysis called ''idea''. Furthermore, our results concern only a few students and cannot be extrapolated. We can considered it as assumptions which will be tested in future research

Studying Students' Learning Processes Used During Physics Teaching Sequence About Gas With Networks of Ideas and Their Domain of Applicability

International audienceIn literature, several processes have been suggested to describe conceptual changes being undertaken. However, a few parts of studies analyse in great detail which students' learning processes are involved in physics classes during teaching, and how they are used. Following a socio-constructivist approach using tools coming from discourse analysis, we suggest studying three processes of students' learning: (1)establishing links between ideas, (2)increasing or (3)decreasing the domain of applicability of ideas. Our database consists of video data and written worksheets of 2 students at the upper secondary school level (grade 10 [15-year-old students]) during a one-month teaching sequence about gas. Based on semiotic resources contained in oral and written language, we reconstruct in great detail all the ideas about gas expressed by both students during the entire teaching sequence. Our analysis deals with (a) how learning processes are identified based on the ideas expressed by students and (b) how the three learning processes are used by the two students during teaching. Our results show that during the teaching sequence: (1) the emergence of the networks of three ideas is supported by networks of two ideas expressed previously by students, (2) both students express more networks of two ideas than networks of three ideas, (3) The process 'increasing the domain of applicability' of an idea or a network of ideas is very often involved and (4) the process 'decreasing the domain of applicability' of an idea or network of ideas is rarely used by them

Toward a new conception of conceptions: Interplay of talk, gestures, and structures in the setting

International audienceA major part of studies about students' conceptions and conceptual change exclusively is based on the analysis language, which is treated as a tool to make private contents of mind public to researchers. Following recent studies that focus (a) on language and discursive practice and (b) on the pragmatics of communication that draws on talk, gestures, and semiotic resources in the setting, we propose a redefinition of the nature of conception. Conceptions are understood as the simultaneously available speech, gestures, and contextual structures that cannot be reduced to verbal rendering because gestures and contextual structures constitute different modalities in the communication. Drawing on data collected during a physics unit about gas taught in French tenth-grade classrooms, we show why an appropriate account of conceptions requires (a) gestures simultaneously produced with talk and (b) identification of the relevant structures in the setting used by the participants as meaning-making (semiotic) resources. We propose to (a) reconceptualize the notion of conception by defining an "idea" as consisting of all relevant semiotic (meaning-making) resources publicly made available by a speaker (talk, gesture, context) and (b) consider conceptual change through the temporal evolution of ideas defined in this manner

Un schéma vaut-il mieux qu'un long discours ?

International audienceThis research focuses on written language and systems of signs to study the learning of scientific concepts. It proposes to show that students (Grade 10 [aged 15]) mobilize ideas about gas in different ways in regard to the semiotic registers (text or picture) proposed during an assessment. Our study adopts a socio-constructivist approach of learning and develops a theoretical framework, articulating elements from the didactic of physics with semiotics concepts of Duval (1995). We give a test with questions (using simultaneously text and diagram) to approximately 90 students just after a teaching sequence on gas. We categorize with the software Sphinx students’ answers and diagram. This analysis has excellent intra-analyst reliability of our coding with the best level of reproducibility (Cohen’s Kappa test) and all our results are statistically significant (test of Khi2). Our results show that : (I) situations affect the mobilization of students’ ideas in regard to the semiotics registers involved in the assessment, (II) the semiotics registers have an effect on the mobilization of students’ ideas according to the facets of knowledge. Students are much more efficient in the register of : (a) schema to use facets about particles contained in gas and it homogeneous distribution and (b) text to mobilize their ideas about the action of gas, (III) the semiotic registers used in the tasks of the teaching sequence on gas could possibly be related to the mobilization of students’ ideas in the semiotics registers involved during the assessment. The implications of this work in teaching and research in didactic of physics are important. It allows to have a better consideration of the semiotic register to assess students’ knowledge.Cette recherche s’intéresse à l’importance du langage écrit et des systèmes de signes dans l’apprentissage de concepts scientifiques. Elle propose de montrer que la mobilisation des idées des élèves de seconde sur les gaz diffère selon les registres sémiotiques (texte ou schéma) proposés dans une évaluation. Notre étude adopte une approche socioconstructiviste de l’apprentissage et développe un cadre théorique mixte, articulant des éléments issus de la didactique de la physique avec les travaux de Duval (1995) sur la sémiotique. À partir d’une évaluation (utilisant simultanément du texte et du schéma) passée auprès d’environ 90 élèves de seconde juste après une séquence d’enseignement du groupe SESAMES sur les gaz, nous avons catégorisé à l’aide du logiciel Sphinx leurs réponses écrites et leurs schémas. La fiabilité de cette catégorisation a été éprouvée à l’aide du test de Cohen’s Kappa dont les résultats ont montré une excellente reproductibilité intra codeur. Nos résultats montrent par ailleurs que : (I) les situations influencent la mobilisation des idées des élèves en fonction des registres sémiotiques sollicités dans l’évaluation ; (II) les registres sémiotiques influencent différemment la mobilisation des idées des élèves en fonction des facettes du savoir mises en jeu. En effet, les productions des élèves sont beaucoup plus pertinentes : (a) dans le registre du schéma pour rendre compte des facettes aspect particulaire et répartition homogène du gaz et (b) dans le registre du texte en langage naturel pour mobiliser leurs idées relatives à l’action du gaz ; (III) les registres sémiotiques utilisés dans les tâches de la séquence d’enseignement sur les gaz pourraient éventuellement avoir un lien avec la mobilisation des idées des élèves dans les registres sémiotiques proposés par l’évaluation. Les implications de ces travaux dans l’enseignement de la physique, ainsi que la recherche en didactiques sont importantes. Elles devraient permettre une meilleure prise en compte des registres sémiotiques dans l’évaluation des connaissances des élèves

Quel est l'impact des registres sémiotiques sur l'efficacité d'une séquence d'enseignement sur les gaz pour des élèves de Seconde ?

This research be interested in written language and sign systems in learning scientific concepts. It will show that the effectiveness of teaching about the gas on students varies with semiotic registers, as text or diagram. Our theoretical framework is in physics education and adopts a socio-constructivist approach using work on the semiotic. Based on a pre and post test (using text and diagram) given to 90 students at the upper-secondary school level (Grade 10 [15-year-old students]), we analyzed their responses with the Sphynx software. Our analysis is reproducible and all our results are statistically significant at the Chi2 test. Its show that after teaching students progress more and are much more efficient: (a) in the diagram to use ideas on particle aspect and the uniform distribution of gas and (b) in the written text to mobilize ideas on the action of the gas. Furthermore, it seems that there is a probable influence between semiotic registers used during teaching on a specific concept about gas and the importance of the evolution of students' ideas on this concept in the same semiotic register.Cette recherche s'intéresse à l'importance du langage écrit et des systèmes de signes dans l'apprentissage de concepts scientifiques. Elle propose de montrer que l'efficacité d'un enseignement à propos des gaz sur des élèves de seconde varie en fonction des registres sémiotiques du texte ou du schéma. Notre cadre théorique se situe dans la didactique de la physique et adopte une approche socio-constructiviste utilisant des travaux sur les registres sémiotique. À partir d'un pré et d'un post questionnaire (utilisant simultanément du texte et du schéma) passé auprès d'environ 90 élèves de Seconde, nous avons analysé leurs réponses avec le logiciel Sphynx. Notre analyse est reproductible et l'ensemble de nos résultats sont statistiquement significatifs au test du Khi2. Ils montrent qu'après enseignement les élèves progressent plus et sont beaucoup plus performant : (a) dans le registre du schéma pour utiliser des idées sur l'aspect particulaire et la répartition homogène des gaz et (b) dans le registre des réponses écrites en langage naturel pour mobiliser celles sur l'action du gaz. De plus, il semble qu'il y ait une influence probable entre les registres sémiotiques utilisées pour travailler une notion dans l'enseignement et l'importance de la progression des idées des élèves sur cette notion dans ces mêmes registres sémiotiques

Gestures: A Mode of Conceptualization in Science Gestures: A Mode of Conceptualization in Science

International audienceProblem Since the late 1970's there has been a lot of research to identify students' conceptions about physics (e.g., Pfundt & Duit, 1999). Now, more recent studies attempt to identify the factors that support the evolution of students' initial knowledge towards scientific knowledge. Among the studies of conceptual change (Posner, Strike, Hewson & Gertzog, 1982), we belong to small group of researchers that follow learning and change processes in real time, that is, "the data is collected continuously during the learning process. The aim is to capture and be able to describe the entire process" (Niedderer, 1992). To follow learning and change processes, we need to model the students' thought and use the definition: "knowledge" is a set of ideas, (which could be contradictory between themselves or not), each one can be applied in several material situation, these situations represent the domain of validity of one idea (Balacheff, 1999). We reconstruct a student's ideas on the basis of his/her actions, especially, verbal productions, communicative gestures, and manipulations of experiences. In this paper, we document how students' ideas evolve in a teaching sequence, specifically designed with the aim of understanding how students learn. The ultimate goal was to improve the teaching of gases at the level of higher secondary school (10 grader, 15-16 year old). Our general research question was, " How do the student's ideas evolve in our teaching sequence on gases? " To follow the student's conceptualization, we will focus on the role of communicative gestures, especially on the synchronization between speech and gesture (Roth, 1999). Background Communicative gestures have been classified into different types including those of deictic (pointing), iconic, metaphorical, and beat nature (Kendon, 1985; McNeil, 1992; Scherer, 1984.). Deictic gestures "point" out some aspect of the context. Iconic gestures and the entities they stand for are characterized by mapping relationships such that both be understood in terms of the same topological features. For an example, a scientist might outline a graph by following it using her finger, and thereby highlights the shape of its line. In a similar way, metaphorical gestures provide a visual expression of a metaphor, even though the concept or idea may be abstract. Finally symbolic gestures function as independent signs and obtain their sense through shared social conventions (raising of middle finger to signal an obscenity) (Roth 1999). In this study, we will focus only on iconic and metaphoric gestures, especially their synchronization with speech, because together, speech and gesture constitute a good indicator of knowledge (Goldin-Meadow, 1997)

The concept of mass in physics : some elements about conceptions and obstacles

Ce travail propose de pointer certaines difficultés que rencontrent les élèves lors de l'enseignement du concept de masse en classe. Pour cela, il s'appuie sur l'approche historique de ce concept, ainsi que sur l'analyse des programmes, pour bâtir un questionnaire, proposé à des élèves allant de la classe de troisième au DEUG et à des enseignants de lycée. L'analyse de ce questionnaire a permis de mettre en évidence un certain nombre d'obstacles et de conceptions liés au concept de masse, ainsi que de pouvoir suivre leur évolution à travers les différents stades de l'enseignement

Learning Process Studies

International audienceIn 1991, an international workshop held in Bremen was working on " Research in Physics Learning-Theoretical Issues and Empirical Studies " (Duit, Goldberg, Niedderer 1992). The intention of this workshop was to develop a new research goal, which was to study learning processes with data from during the learning process. The main point, which often makes learning process studies very important and interesting is the following: Students' actual constructions are often different from taught knowledge. In other words: there is a gap between what we teach and what is learnt (McDermott 1991), the knowledge to be taught is different from students' steps of learning (Tiberghien 1997). The students undertake a cognitive development, which leads them towards constructing certain "intermediate conceptions" (see below) corresponding to their cognitive structure (Niedderer 2001). In this paper, we are presenting some theoretical and methodological issues together with some results from new studies (Givry 2003; Budde 2004). 2. Theoretical framework Conceptions and expressed ideas Many authors use the term "conception" to denote their basic concept of thinking and learning (see Duit 2004). A conception is seen as a hypothetical set of statements, skills, procedures, that the researcher attributes to one or more students in order to account for students' behaviour in a set of given situations (Tiberghien 1997). Here, we distinguish between two cases: (1) One is to consider that a conception intends to be part of modelling students' mind. It is a construction of a researcher to describe typical use of elements of knowledge and ways of thinking of students. A conception has to be stable and must appear in more than one context and point in time. (2) The other is to consider that the researcher infers only ideas, which are expressed in the students' productions without making hypotheses on students' mind (Givry and Roth in press). These inferences will be called " expressed-ideas " to distinguish them from the previous approach. These two approaches show that, even if the points of view on the students' mind modelling are different, the analysis and the results on learning are compatible and mutually reinforced. Both approaches are inferred from students' productions (utterances, gestures, writing) by the researcher and can show some stability over time (Niedderer 2001) and through several situations (Givry 2003). The set of these situations represent their domain of validity, this domain can be reduced to a single situation or be stable in several situations. In both cases there is a construction of a researcher, which describes the core of several ideas of students in the researchers own words using the most distinctive features of those ideas for this description. This procedure is also aiming at a considerable reduction of data, describing the core of a set of ideas in a set of situations with one conception. Learning processes Often, learning processes 1 can be represented as a sequence of conceptions developed by students during instruction. These conceptions do not exclude each other; a student can have 1 The use of the term process here can be justified by stating that it describes a series of steps, which allow to acquire the scientific taught concepts and then are a student's way of going from initial to final conceptions ("learning pathway")