TITLE: GESTURES AS SEMIOTIC RESOURCES IN THE MATHEMATICS CLASSROOM����PRESENTED BY: CLEMENTINA UTI����COURSE: EDCP 553

TERRITORIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

​

The University of British Columbia Vancouver

Campus is located on the unceded traditional

territories of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish),

Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and

xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations and we are

grateful for the opportunity to do so.

​

GESTURES AS SEMIOTIC RESOURCES IN THE MATHEMATICS CLASSROOM�

MOTIVATION AND PERSONAL JOURNEY

• Teaching experience in Nigeria revealed gestures improve comprehension.
• Gestures became essential in clarifying abstract concepts.
• Professional growth from math teacher to education officer.
• Motivated by the need to make math more accessible and interactive.

​

4

ACTIVITY

​

LET THINK FOR A MINUTE

​

A DESCRIPTION ON CIRCLE

​

• GESTURES ONLY

​

• GESTURES + VERBAL

5

LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FOUNDATION

• Arzarello et al.(2009) "Semiotic bundles" & “Semiotic games”
• Robutti (2005): Gestures enhance graph understanding.
• Saenz-Ludlow & Presmeg(2006) Multimodal math communication.
• All emphasize gestures' role in enhancing learning.

​

6

WAKEFIELD ET AL. (2018) STUDY

• Gestures + speech improve learning more than speech alone.
• Eye-tracking revealed increased visual focus with gestures.
• Gestures promote deeper engagement and comprehension.
• Especially effective for abstract math concepts.

7

COGNITIVE AND COMMUNICATIVE IMPACT

• Goldin-Meadow & Alibali (2012): Gestures aid language and cognition.
• Reveal unspoken cognitive states through gesture-speech mismatch.
• Effective for early learners and predicting learning trajectories

​

8

EMBODIED COGNITION AND EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES

• Abrahamson et al. (2020): MIT and spatial-aerobics.
• Gestures categorized into indices, icons, symbols.
• Reinforce concepts like slope, proportion, and magnitude.
• Encourage peer communication and model construction.

​

9

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS AND CLASSROOM IMPLICATIONS

• Semiotic cognition theory (Arzarello, Pierce).
• Gesture-speech mismatch (Goldin-Meadow).
• Embodied cognition bridges abstract and formal understanding.
• Gestures promote engagement, memory retention, and critical thinking.

​

10

LIMITATIONS AND CONTEXTUAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Class size in Nigeria impacts visibility of gestures.
• Lack of teacher training in multimodal strategies.
• Existing studies often exclude African contexts.
• Need for broader, localized research and training.

​

11

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• Gestures are powerful tools in math education.
• Integration with digital tools and visuals is key.
• Teachers should be educated in multimodal techniques.
• Future research should focus on diverse learning environments.

​

12

13

References

1. Saenz-Ludlow, A., & Presmeg, N. (2006). Semiotic perspectives on learning mathematics and communicating mathematically,61,1-10.

2. Abrahamson, D., Nathan, M. J., Williams-Pierce, C., Walkington, C., & Ottmar, E. R. (2020). The future of embodied design for mathematics teaching and learning. Educational Psychologist,55(4), 8-13.

3. Wakefield, E., Novack, M. A., Congdon, E. L., Franconeri, S., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2018). Gesture helps learners learn, but not merely by guiding their visual attention. 21(6).

. 4. Arzarello, F., Paola, D., Robutti, O., & Sabena, C. (2008). Gestures as semiotic resources in the mathematics classroom 70(2),97-109.

5. Robutti, O. (2005). Motion, technology, and gestures in interpreting graphs. 10(1),41-73.

6. Robutti, O., Sabena, C., Krause, C., Soldano, C., & Arzarello, F. (2022). Gestures in mathematics, thinking and learning. 109(1),41-73.

7. Goldin-Meadow, S., & Alibali, M. W. (2012). Gesture’s role in speaking, learning, and creating language. Annual Review of Psychology 63, 257-275.

14