Teachers!
gestures facilitate students! Learning: A lesson in symmetry
by
Laura Valenzano Martha W. Alibali, b, sand Roberta Klatzkya
Summary
The study puts forth the idea that factors influencing students' comprehension of spoken language also play a significant role in their understanding of the language employed in educational contexts. These factors encompass clarity of the message, the relevance of content, nonverbal cues, organization, engagement, pacing and repetition, tone and intonation, feedback, and integration. The primary aim of this research is to investigate the significance of gestures as a form of nonverbal communication in teaching and learning. It specifically highlights how gestures can provide substantial proof to enhance lesson content. For instance, using gestures to clarify concepts—like pointing to a shape to emphasize symmetry or tracing a line to illustrate an idea—demonstrates the educational value of gestures in making abstract notions more tangible and enriching the overall content of the lesson.
This research was conducted with 25 children, averaging 4 years and 6 months old, from two classrooms in a university laboratory preschool. The survey utilized a controlled environment featuring a table, two chairs, a small television VCR, and a video camera. This arrangement helped maintain consistency and reduce external distractions, allowing researchers to concentrate on the effects of gestures during the lessons.
The researchers systematically analyzed and categorized the
results from the experiments using coding. They focused on three main
categories: content, correctness, and presentation of gestures, which were
graded on a scale from 0 to 6. To enhance the analysis, the content was
examined through various lenses, including sides, mirrors, halves, irrelevant,
and don’t know explanations. Each explanation was also coded to indicate
whether gestures were used or not. Additionally, head turns were coded to
evaluate the students’ levels of focus.
From the analysis, the following findings emerged:
- Students exposed to the verbal-plus-gestures video condition provided more items than those in the video-only condition when both evaluative decisions and reasoning were considered.
- The verbal-plus-gestures video condition yielded a greater
number of judgments compared to the video-only condition.
- No significant difference was noted between the two
conditions overall.
- The verbal-plus-gestures condition offered more mirror
explanations, while the video-only condition included more irrelevant content.
- Judgments from both sides and mirror analysis indicated
that children in the verbal-plus-gestures condition provided more advanced
explanations.
- Students in the verbal-plus-gestures condition
demonstrated greater focus and answered more questions correctly regarding
symmetry.
In conclusion, despite some limitations of the study such as
the specific nature of the types of gestures used and the lack of realistic
instructional settings, the findings broaden our understanding of the
significant role that gestures play in influencing student comprehension. This,
in turn, extends to their overall learning of concepts. In conclusion, despite
some limitations of the study such as the specific nature of the types of
gestures used and the lack of realistic instructional settings, the findings
broaden our understanding of the significant role that gestures play in
influencing student comprehension. This, in turn, extends to their overall
learning of concepts.
“Students! comprehension may be challenged by instructional discourse that presents new concepts and uses unfamiliar terms”. Page 188
This quote speaks to me because it highlights the critical
role of preparing lesson notes or plans. By clearly outlining our teaching
steps, we can better connect what students already know to new concepts. A
well-prepared lesson is essential for tackling the difficulties that come with
presenting unfamiliar ideas and vocabulary. Without this preparation, we risk
creating misunderstandings that can impede students' overall understanding of
the material.
Additionally, gestures can play a powerful role in helping
overcome these challenges. They serve as visual or physical representations of
abstract concepts or complex terms, which can be incredibly useful when we’re
crafting our lessons. For instance, as mentioned in the article, the teacher
introduced new vocabulary by tracing shapes or pointing to relevant examples,
which helped students relate the unknown to their existing knowledge. Careful
planning allows educators to effectively incorporate gestures into their
teaching strategies, enhancing the learning experience. How can I prepare my
lesson to ensure that the gesture used in the class is beneficial to students
of all learning styles?
” Gestures may serve to capture students! attention precisely
because they link speech to the physical environment”. Page 201
This resonates with me because the significance of gestures
in classroom teaching and learning is crucial. It's vital to make mathematics
more relatable to students. I believe that when a teacher delivers lessons with
passion and utilizes body language to demonstrate concepts, it truly engages
students and ignites their curiosity about the subject. I recall a time when I
was teaching my students about the parts of a circle. I used my hand to
illustrate each element, tracing and pointing out features like the circumference,
radius, arc, diameter, and chord. It made the lesson more interactive and
memorable for them.
Hi Clementina,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your summary and responses. I completely agree that lesson planning is essential for a successful lesson. I've often heard it said that teaching is the easiest part of the job, with planning, grading, and communicating with stakeholders being much more burdensome. I wonder, though, to answer your question, when we plan lessons, should we also plan specific gestures to accompany our content and make sure to highlight them in our preparations?
Your second question is really interesting! As a secondary school teacher, I’m also curious about the differences in how gestures are perceived compared to younger students. In my experience, the "magic" of school tends to fade in secondary school, especially as the years progress. By then, students often become more focused on the workload, grades, and the pressure of exams. Classes, at times, can feel "boring" or more routine, which might make it harder for students to engage fully. The enthusiasm that younger children have for learning, where everything feels like a new adventure, seems to give way to a more pragmatic, sometimes disengaged, attitude as they get older.
I would tend to think that younger children might be more receptive to gestures and more easily captivated by them, but it seems you may think otherwise!
Looking forward to your thoughts!
Thankyou Clementina for the summary and response. I too agree with both of you that lesson plan is very important part of teaching. During my teaching years, I had to prepare lesson plan which should include the activities suitable for all the students in the class. I actually never really used gestures in my lesson plans before. I've done many activities, but I realize now how intentional gestures would make it an impact on strengthening ideas. Your question made me think about ways in which I could plan gestures more thoughtfully to complement different learning styles.
ReplyDeleteI agree that older students lose interest in learning due to academic stress and boredom. So they might be interested in simply completing their classes. On the other hand, young children naturally appear to employ gestures more since they consider learning a game, while older students might need more deliberate strategies to get them interested.