Unpacking the child-technology-teacher relation: accentuating the role of embodied dynamics in young learners’ educational interactions

Abstract Embodiment reconceptualizes learning as active, situating the body as integral to interaction and learning, and revitalizes older conceptions of the role of body language. While embodiment has steadily been established as a learning theory, its application in educational studies and practice has been less rapid. The current study examines use of embodied resources during learning of a novel phenomenon encountered by 1-2-year-old children. The results demonstrate that children predominantly rely on their bodies when learning to use a novel technological toy, whereas teachers primarily rely on language. The results are incorporated into a cyclical action-communication model, illustrating how interlocutors dynamically build upon both verbal and embodied actions in learning interactions. The relevance of embodiment for understanding contemporary education is discussed.