Precursor Models in Early Science Education: a multimodal perspective

ALMA ADRIANNA GÓMEZ GALINDO

Abstract

This paper analyses the importance of modelling and the use of multimodal languages in the construction of precursor models in early science education. Drawing on a semantic view of science, it explores how the coordinated use of various semiotic registers—words, drawings, and physical models—enables students to transition from everyday explanations towards more complex school scientific models. It is argued that scientific language should not be presented as a finished technical structure, but as a system of meaningful relationships that is negotiated and constructed within the classroom. Through practical examples concerning the nervous system among students of different ages, this work illustrates how external representations allow for the materialisation of abstract entities and non-observable processes. The paper concludes that multimodality facilitates children’s ability to make sense of scientific phenomena in a natural and gradual manner, ultimately enabling informed decision-making.

Keywords

Precursor models, multimodality, scientific language, external representations, primary education

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References

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.26220/mje.5626

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Mediterranean Journal of Education | ISSN: 2732-6489 |  Department of Educational Sciences and Early Childhood Education - University of Patras.

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