Major
Psychology
Anticipated Graduation Year
2025
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
Gestures are hand movements that accompany speech and express information. Research suggests gestures support learning in various domains, but not all individuals benefit equally. This study examines how individual differences, such as working memory, prior knowledge, and the propensity to see gesture as meaningful, shape learning outcomes from seeing versus doing gestures to learn the concept of linear measurement. We focus on measurement because it is a pillar of early math education that many children in the U.S. struggle to master. Our results will have implications for how gesture can be used most effectively as a teaching tool.
Community Partners
Chicago Public Schools, Rogers Park Montessori
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Dr. Elizabeth Wakefield, Associate Professor, Psychology
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Do Individual Differences Impact How a Child Learns from Gesture?
Gestures are hand movements that accompany speech and express information. Research suggests gestures support learning in various domains, but not all individuals benefit equally. This study examines how individual differences, such as working memory, prior knowledge, and the propensity to see gesture as meaningful, shape learning outcomes from seeing versus doing gestures to learn the concept of linear measurement. We focus on measurement because it is a pillar of early math education that many children in the U.S. struggle to master. Our results will have implications for how gesture can be used most effectively as a teaching tool.
Comments
The authors would like to thank research assistants involved in this project, including Katie Mathias, Lisa Gallo, Alex Hurka, Clark Brown, Jordan Perry, Esha Thakker, and Lucy Maloni. We would also like to thank the child participants and schools that made data collection possible.