Teaching by Hand: Gesture as a Multimodal Tool in Bilingual Science & Math Instruction (Stage 2, 7:50 AM)

• In Event: e-Lightning Ed-Talk Session 15 - Stage 2

Abstract

This study explores how bilingual teachers use gesture as a multimodal tool to support STEM learning in dual language classrooms. Drawing on embodiment theory and the histories of meaning-based pedagogy in linguistically diverse contexts, we examine how gesture functions across languages and disciplines to promote conceptual understanding and student engagement. Video analysis of classroom discourse reveals that gestures vary by language of instruction and content area, reflecting adaptive strategies grounded in bilingual teaching traditions. By centering gesture as a powerful pedagogical resource, this research contributes to a reimagining of STEM education that honors embodied communication and cultural ways of knowing—offering a future-forward model of instruction rooted in the linguistic, cultural, and cognitive assets of historically marginalized communities.

Authors

• Zenaida Aguirre-Munoz, University of California - Merced

• Fernando Negrete Raya, University of California, Merced

• Chen Liu, University of California - Merced

• Bianca Barajas-Salazar, University of California - Merced