• Journal of the Korean Society of Earth Science Education
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.358-370
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between the mental model and the depictive gestures observed in the explanations of elementary school students about the reason why seasons change. As a result of analysis in gestures of each mental model, mental model was remembered as "motion" in case of CM-type, and showed more "Exphoric" gestures that expressed gesture as a language. CF type is remembered in "writings or pictures," and metaphoric gestures were used when explaining some alternative concepts. CF-UM type explained with language in detail, and showed a number of gestures with "Lexical." Analyzing depictive gestures, even with sub-categories such as rotation, revolution and meridian altitude, etc., a great many types of gestures were expressed such as indicating with fingers, palms, arms, ball-point pens, and fists, etc., or drawing, spinning and indicating them. We could check up concept understandings of the students through this. In addition, as we analyzed inconsistencies among external representations such as verbal language and gesture, writing and gesture, and picture and gesture, we realized that gestures can help understanding mental models of the students, and sometimes, we could know that information that cannot be shown by linguistic explanations or pictures was expressed in gestures. Additionally, we looked into two research participants that showed conspicuous differences. One participant seemed to be wrong as he used his own expressions, but he expressed with gestures precisely, while the other participant seemed to be accurate, but when he analyzed gestures, he had whimsical concepts.