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Physical Review Physics Education Research
written by Kim Svensson and Esmeralda Campos
The study of students' use of representations is one of the main topics of physics education research and is guided by the overarching field of semiotics. In this paper we compare two semiotic frameworks, one coming from didactics of mathematics and one from physics education research; the theory of registers of semiotic representations and social semiotics, using the networking of theories methodology. A group of first year university students were audio and video recorded as they discussed concepts relating to thermal energy, a study that will be further explored in an upcoming paper. We find that analyzing the recorded data using two different semiotic perspectives provides a wider interpretation of students' representational use, a descriptive approach to how students use the representations, and an approach to the cognitive aspects of the construction of knowledge. By comparing the theoretical constructs they employ, and how they are employed in the analysis process, we identify constructs that both frameworks have in common, but also where they differ. We have found that each semiotic theory provides a different perspective regarding students' representational use. We also propose that comparing different theories may provide a space for complementing the constructs of each theory and providing a bigger picture to understand students' representational use in physics and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education areas.
Physical Review Physics Education Research: Volume 18, Issue 2, Pages 020120
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Education Foundations
- Cognition
= Cognition Development
- Learning Theory
= Representations
- Student Characteristics
= Skills
General Physics
- Physics Education Research
- Lower Undergraduate
- Upper Undergraduate
- Reference Material
= Research study
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Free access
License:
This material is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Rights Holder:
American Physical Society
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120
Keywords:
Registers of Semiotic Representations, epistemology, knowledge acquisition, mathematical symbols, mental models, schema, sensemaking, symbols
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created September 28, 2022 by Lyle Barbato
Record Updated:
May 2, 2023 by Caroline Hall
Last Update
when Cataloged:
September 26, 2022
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AIP Format
K. Svensson and E. Campos, , Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 18 (2), 020120 (2022), WWW Document, (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120).
AJP/PRST-PER
K. Svensson and E. Campos, Comparison of two semiotic perspectives: How do students use representations in physics?, Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 18 (2), 020120 (2022), <https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120>.
APA Format
Svensson, K., & Campos, E. (2022, September 26). Comparison of two semiotic perspectives: How do students use representations in physics?. Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res., 18(2), 020120. Retrieved December 2, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120
Chicago Format
Svensson, Kim, and Esmeralda Campos. "Comparison of two semiotic perspectives: How do students use representations in physics?." Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 18, no. 2, (September 26, 2022): 020120, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120 (accessed 2 December 2023).
MLA Format
Svensson, Kim, and Esmeralda Campos. "Comparison of two semiotic perspectives: How do students use representations in physics?." Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 18.2 (2022): 020120. 2 Dec. 2023 <https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120>.
BibTeX Export Format
@article{ Author = "Kim Svensson and Esmeralda Campos", Title = {Comparison of two semiotic perspectives: How do students use representations in physics?}, Journal = {Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res.}, Volume = {18}, Number = {2}, Pages = {020120}, Month = {September}, Year = {2022} }
Refer Export Format

%A Kim Svensson %A Esmeralda Campos %T Comparison of two semiotic perspectives: How do students use representations in physics? %J Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. %V 18 %N 2 %D September 26, 2022 %P 020120 %U https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Journal Article %A Svensson, Kim %A Campos, Esmeralda %D September 26, 2022 %T Comparison of two semiotic perspectives: How do students use representations in physics? %J Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. %V 18 %N 2 %P 020120 %8 September 26, 2022 %U https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120


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