Embodied Cognition in Science Teacher Education: A Phenomenographic Analysis of Science Teachers’ Experiences When Using Role-play to Engage with Different Philosophical Traditions of Embodiment

Abstract Embodied cognition (EC) theory has become increasingly prevalent in k-10 science education but remains largely theoretical or divorced from authentic classroom practices. We address this gap in the literature by examining how EC can be systematically brought into science teacher education using role-play. As part of a design-based research approach, we developed a workshop on EC, integrated into a Danish science teacher education course. Employing phenomenographic analysis of group interviews and survey responses, we examine how ten science teachers perceive EC and role-play in teacher education. The teachers experienced EC as increasing their awareness of the body’s role in science learning, enhancing their ability to design meaningful learning activities, providing justification for non-traditional teaching strategies, and offering a tool for differentiation in science education. Teachers experienced role-play as an exercise in constrained perspective-taking, which promoted collaborative knowledge construction and practice-theory integration. This study contributes to research on embodied cognition and the cognition of science by providing a systematic approach to translating multiple theoretical and philosophical perspectives on embodiment into teacher education, giving voice to practicing teachers’ experiences with embodied principles, and offering insights into role-play as a pedagogical tool for teacher education. Our findings demonstrate how teachers play a key role in the interpretation, development, and integration of EC theory in science education.