Establishing the norms of the Vygotskian teaching in the science classroom

Abstract

This study aimed to exemplify an approach to in-class science inquiry teaching for effective
science knowledge acquisition of students. The teaching tool (argument-based inquiry) is presented
within a specific instructional psychology context, coined as discursive psychology, grounded on the
seminal works of Lev S. Vygotsky. According to Vygotsky, concept formation or learning science concepts
requires the acquisition of a version of specific social languages or thinking and talking systems by which
science ideas are generated and labelled. In the classroom, there are at least two social languages that
may have differences and communalities. On one hand, students may bring a less formalised everyday
social language into the classroom. On the other hand, science teachers have to share an alternative social
language favouring and featuring a more formalised thinking and talking system attaching to canonical
science knowledge. This study thus presented an expanded illustration how the science teacher uses an
in-class science inquiry approach by reacting to the existences of the different or exclusively mutual social
languages or pedagogical accountabilities.