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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
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![]() <a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=16333">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.</a>
![]() K. Svensson and E. Campos, , Phys. Rev. Phys. Educ. Res. 18 (2), 020120 (2022), WWW Document, (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120).
![]() 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>.
![]() 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 May 30, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120
![]() 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 30 May 2023).
![]() 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. 30 May 2023 <https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.18.020120>.
![]() @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}
}
![]() %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 ![]() %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 Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
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