Abstract

Though we live in a 4-dimensional universe, our minds and bodies are not particularly good at perceiving and depicting 4 dimensions. This study contributes to our understanding of collaboration with abstract concepts by examining particular activities where bodily and experiential understandings may conflict with the conceptual domain. Specifically, upper secondary physics classrooms studying Einstein’s general theory of relativity are taken as a setting to identify the representational practices and conceptual challenges that arise when learners attempt to make meaning with, and express conflicting notions of, space and time. To unpack these challenges, we draw on the concept of imagination and on theoretical perspectives that treat imagining as a social activity. We also present the concept of metaimagining to characterize layered processes in which learners attend to and manage shifts between their own imaginative activities. This concept is illustrated through a detailed analysis of an extended conversation between 2 upper secondary physics students working with general relativity and spacetime. The students perform a diverse set of imaginative activities that are strongly tied to communicative, cognitive, and bodily action. We also show how the unique domain of general relativity presents particular challenges to student meaning making of abstract concepts which in turn prompt metaimagining. Based on our analysis, we offer recommendations to improve instructional practices in general relativity and argue for the consideration of imagining as a transdisciplinary competency in math and science education.

摘要

尽管我们生活在一个4维的宇宙中，但是我们的思想和身体并不是特别擅长感知和描绘4维。通过研究身体和体验的理解可能与概念领域冲突的特定活动，本研究有助于我们对与抽象概念的协作的理解。具体来说，研究爱因斯坦广义相对论的高中物理教室被用作确定学习者试图对空间和时间进行含义并表达其矛盾概念时出现的代表性实践和概念挑战的场所。为了解决这些挑战，我们借鉴了想象的概念和将想象视为社会活动的理论观点。我们还提出了元想象的概念，以描述学习者参与并管理他们自己的想象活动之间的转变的分层过程。通过对两个在广义相对论和时空上工作的高中物理学生之间的扩展对话进行详细分析，可以说明这个概念。学生们进行各种各样的富有想象力的活动，这些活动与沟通，认知和身体动作紧密相关。我们还将展示广义相对论的独特领域如何对抽象概念的学生意义的提出提出特殊的挑战，这些挑战反过来又促使了元想象。根据我们的分析，我们提出了一些建议，以改善广义相对论中的教学实践，并考虑将其想象为数学和科学教育中的跨学科能力。