O uso de gestos recorrentes e a multimodalidade em aulas de química orgânica do ensino superior

Abstract

In the present study we evaluate catchments being used simultaneously with other semiotic modes during the meaning sharing in organic chemistry classes of higher education. Our aim was to understand the use of catchments in this context and the importance of the gesture recurrence in conjunction with other modes to the meaning making and meaning sharing. In this sense, we sought to answer the following research questions: How do catchments occur? In which subjects are they predominant? How do different modes interact in the construction of relevant meanings in organic chemistry? How do different modes and catchments interact in the meaning making in organic chemistry classes? By answering these research questions, we emphasized the importance of a multimodal treatment and not only a treatment of the verbal language to construct meaning in Natural Sciences classes. In order to obtain the data, the Organic Chemistry I classes were video recorded during a whole semester. From the analyzed videos we observed the catchments that emerged in the classes and which were the modes that accompanied them. For our analysis we used the catchment definition proposed by McNeill (2005), that means, catchments are recurrent gestures that appear along the utterance and that resume the main idea that was previously established. We classified gestures according to the typology suggested by Kendon (2004) that distinguishes gestures as referential and representational. We linked the identified gestures with the three meta-functions described by Halliday (1978) to understand how is the construction of a text full of meaning in the classroom through a set of semiotic modes. Our results show that during a whole semester the professor enacted 23 different types of catchments four of which occurred more than 100 times. These four gestures were linked to subjects considered as essential to be learned in Organic Chemistry I. Thus, the professor uses gestures to emphasize and to resume important concepts. So, in the construction of these meanings the professor uses a set of modes that she selects according to the emphasis she wants to give. The blackboard was the semiotic mode that she used more. We understand that this increased use is due to the major familiarity and experience she has with this kind of mode. Furthermore, the blackboard potentiates the creation of more dynamic explanations considering that she can wright the mechanisms all over the board and she can move herself along it to demonstrate what is happening with reagents and products. Besides, we observed that the predominant meta-function associated with gestures is the ideational one. This fact might be justified considering that ideational meta-function is related to experiential meanings and the majority of the gestures that we analyzed describe material and relational processes. We also observed that students enacted gestures that were similar to some catchments previously realized by the professor. Thus, our data show that the meaning in classroom emerges from a set of semiotic modes and not only from the verbal language. Therefore, teachers/professors need to recognize which concepts they want to emphasize in each subject they teach. Thereby, the selection of the most adequate modes that can be used to construct meanings becomes easier for them. Finally, we understand that the recurrent education courses could help professors to select modes and to be aware of the use of their gestures.