Embodied, Epistemic Cognition in Higher Science Education: Advances from the Chemistry Laboratory

Abstract This study synthesises two pivotal philosophical notions related to student learning in higher science education, i.e., embodied cognition and epistemic cognition, employing theoretical and empirical inquiries into epistemic practices in teaching laboratories. We conceptualise laboratory work as an authentic context for embodied, epistemic practices and critically review both philosophical notions in light of recent developments in science education. Through a multimethod approach combining interpretative phenomenological analysis, video observations, and multimodal discourse analysis, we characterise seven aspects of epistemic cognition and embodied cognition in the laboratory setting. Our findings reveal how students’ bodily experiences, cognitive processes, and engagement with scientific knowledge unfold in various stages of experimental work. We propose a hybrid, systemic view of cognition that elucidates four key processes: grounding processes, emergent processes, feedback processes, and embodied-affective mediation. The integrated perspective offers significant implications for pedagogy and curriculum development in higher science education, particularly in designing more effective and engaging laboratory experiences that leverage both embodied and epistemic dimensions of learning.