It has long been argued that talking about science is crucial to learning science. In recent years, research on science learning expanded from verbal expression to also include gestures that support talking about science. However, little is known about the range of variation in how students produce, combine, and integrate gestures with simultaneous discussion of science content knowledge. In particular, we examine how students utilize gestures while explaining the function of the KscA channel as part of an undergraduate biochemistry course. In this multiple case study, we compare the gesture production of seven students with two guiding research questions: what are the patterns of each student’s gesture production when they talk about the KcsA channel? What are the similarities and differences in the patterns of gesture production when students talk about the KcsA channel? In the first stage of analysis, participants’ gestures were described then inductively coded through constant comparison to generate a set of gesture categories, containing all gestures used by participants during their interviews. The identification of unique gestures as part of the coding process highlighted the importance of using hand shape vs movement vs a combination of both as a way to delineate different gestures. Moreover, comparison of gesture production and organization between students showed that some students favored short combinations of gestures that were short in duration, while other students had significantly lengthier gesture combinations to accompany their explanations. In the second stage of analysis, the instructor’s gestures were also described in terms of hand shape and movement. We then compared the pattern of instructor generated gestures with those observed from the students to identify which gestures appeared student-generated versus those that may be mimicked from the instructor. This work provides a foundation for beginning to consider different student gesture profiles to complement existing tools and approaches for gauging student learning.

Gestural learners: A multiple case study of students’ usage of gestures when talking about biochemistry

ACS Spring 2022

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