Dual Lenses on Science Classroom Interaction

Abstract Unpacking the complexities of learning processes in science education often requires more than just one analytical framework. Despite the need for such analytical and, by extension, methodological diversity, the science education research literature reveals a scarcity of studies integrating multiple analytical perspectives, thereby possibly overlooking crucial aspects of meaning-making and learning. Addressing this gap, we present a methodological innovation by analysing data through the dual lens of two research traditions and their respective analytical frameworks. Specifically, we integrate perspectives of the social semiotic theory of multimodality and embodied cognition to unpack additional layers of complexity within the learning processes in a case study on Newton’s laws in a primary physics classroom in Sweden. By choosing and contrasting different analytical lenses, we uncover the subtle yet profound ways in which students’ interactions with Newtonian physics are intertwined with their embodied experiences. Exploring students’ physical enactment and phenomenological experiences alongside the various functions of language (in a multimodal sense) within a social semiotic framework can deepen our understanding of the challenges students face in learning force concepts in physics. Ultimately, our dual analysis demonstrates the value of synthesising disparate theoretical perspectives and paves the way for richer research methodologies. Such syntheses have important disciplinary implications for science education research and can lay the ground for fostering collaborations among various disciplinary traditions. We argue that this interdisciplinary approach is crucial for making meaningful progress in our field and beyond.