Major
Neuroscience
Anticipated Graduation Year
2027
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
Gestures are hand movements that accompany speech and convey information. Although research shows gestures support learning, not all children benefit equally. This study examines how individual differences, such as prior knowledge, verbal working memory, fluid intelligence, and children’s tendency to view movement as meaningful, influence learning from gesture-based instruction. First-grade students participated in tasks to assess these characteristics and received instruction on linear measurement, a foundational early math skill that challenges many children in the United States. By exploring how cognitive profiles interact with instructional contexts, this research aims to inform more effective teaching strategies.
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Dr. Elizabeth Wakefield, Associate Professor, Psychology; Katherine Mathias, Graduate Student, Psychology
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
How individual differences affect children’s learning from gesture
Gestures are hand movements that accompany speech and convey information. Although research shows gestures support learning, not all children benefit equally. This study examines how individual differences, such as prior knowledge, verbal working memory, fluid intelligence, and children’s tendency to view movement as meaningful, influence learning from gesture-based instruction. First-grade students participated in tasks to assess these characteristics and received instruction on linear measurement, a foundational early math skill that challenges many children in the United States. By exploring how cognitive profiles interact with instructional contexts, this research aims to inform more effective teaching strategies.
Comments
The authors would like to thank the research assistants involved in this project, including Alex Hurka, Salma Ahmad, Tia Knuth, Lauren Wurster, Tyler Jaine, Teagan Petek, Clark Brown, Lucy Maloni, and Jordan Perry. We would also like to thank the child participants and support from teachers and principals at schools that made data collection possible.