“I think of it that way and it helps me understand”
Anthropomorphism in elementary students' mechanistic stories
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21392623 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Xiaowei Tang (0000-0002-9363-6248, Faculty of Education University of Macau Taipa Macao China, corresponding author), David Hammer (0000-0003-1249-6472, Department of Education Tufts University Boston Massachusetts USA) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 108 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 661-679 |
| Publication date | 2024-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Science Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0036-8326 • E-ISSN: 1098-237X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sce.21851 |
| OpenAlex | W4390546016 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 45 |
How anthropomorphic reasoning functions in scientific thinking has been a controversial topic. There is evidence it is problematic as well as evidence it can play productive roles, for scientists and for students. In science education, however, the prevailing view remains that it is an impediment. For this study, we have chosen examples of what we claim are productive instances in elementary students' reasoning, and we analyze them to understand how anthropomorphisms functioned to support scientific thinking. We argue that one productive role is to support temporary shifts from mechanistic reasoning to more general storytelling, in particular to fill gaps as students work to explain phenomena. That is, we propose that children may come to mechanistic explanation as a form of storytelling. Part of their value is in allowing students to “invent science” based on their existing knowledge, supporting them to understand science as sensemaking
Cognitive science · Epistemology · Knowledge management · Mathematics education · Narrative · Philosophy of science · Science education · Scientific reasoning · Sensemaking · Storytelling · Value (mathematics) · Animal and Plant Science Education · Computer Science · Education and Critical Thinking Development · Psychology · Science Education and Pedagogy
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| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |