From founding voices to future visions: languages and literacies in science education

Kersting, Magdalena; Danielsson, Kristina; Fleury Mortimer, Eduardo; Olander, Clas; SIRY, Christina; Tang, Kok-Sing

doi:10.1080/09500693.2024.2377424

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From founding voices to future visions: languages and literacies in science education

Kersting, Magdalena; Danielsson, Kristina; Fleury Mortimer, Eduardo et al.

2024 • In International Journal of Science Education, p. 1-18

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https://hdl.handle.net/10993/64221

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10.1080/09500693.2024.2377424

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Keywords :

languages and literacies; multilingualism; multimodality; Science education; scientific literacy; Education

Abstract :

[en] Over the past decades, languages and literacies have become a prominent focus in science education research and practice. While there is broad consensus on the central roles of disciplinary, representational, and cultural languages and their associated literacies in learning and teaching science, the field faces a critical moment. An ever-growing number of new theoretical and methodological perspectives have revealed rich facets of the multilingual and multimodal nature of learning processes in science. These developments prompt us to reflect on the distinct identity and impact of languages and literacies on the contemporary discourse in science education, especially in light of technological innovations (e.g. large-language models) and societal developments (e.g. multilingual contexts). This position paper offers an opportunity to assess the field's past developments and future directions, building on a recent meeting of the Special Interest Group (SIG) on Languages and Literacies in Science Education under the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA). We present viewpoints from four founding members of the SIG, discussing current trends, challenges, and visions for the future. Ultimately, this paper invites our global community to engage in informed dialogues on the role and value of languages and literacies in science education today.

Disciplines :

Education & instruction

Author, co-author :

Kersting, Magdalena ; Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

Danielsson, Kristina ; Department of Teaching and Learning, Stockholm University, Sweden ; Department of Swedish, Linnaeus University, Sweden

Fleury Mortimer, Eduardo ; School of Education, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Olander, Clas ; Department of Natural Science, Mathematics and Society, University of Malmö, Malmö, Sweden

SIRY, Christina ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE) > Department of Education and Social Work (DESW) > Teaching and Learning

Tang, Kok-Sing ; School of Education, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

External co-authors :

yes

Language :

English

Title :

From founding voices to future visions: languages and literacies in science education

Publication date :

2024

Journal title :

International Journal of Science Education

ISSN :

0950-0693

eISSN :

1464-5289

Publisher :

Routledge

Pages :

1-18

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09500693.2024.2377424

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since 11 February 2025

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