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Scientific investigations ; metaphorical gestures ; and the emergence of abstract scientific concepts

, and . Learning and Instruction, 12 ((c) 2002 Inst. For Sci. Info): 285-304+ (2002)

Abstract

Where anthropological and psychological studies have shown that gestures are a central feature of communication and cognition, little is known about the role of gesture in learning and instruction. Drawing from a large database on student learning, we show that when students en-acre in conversations in the presence of material objects, these objects provide a phenomenal ground against which students can enact metaphorical gestures that embody (give a body to) entities that are conceptual and abstract. In such instances, gestures are often subsequently replaced by an increasing reliance upon the verbal mode of communication. If gestures constitute a bridge between experiences in the physical world and abstract conceptual language, as we conjecture here, our study has significant implications for both learning and instruction. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

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