Graphicacy in Undergraduate Chemistry Teaching

Abstract

This study investigates the extent of chemistry undergraduates' graphicacy in a scientific communication course, while giving oral presentations produced from original research articles. Researches carried out by Wolff-Michael Roth et al was adopted as a theoretical reference during the analysis, which consisted of: classifying the functions of the inscriptions (material visual representations created inherently in scientific tasks, such as graphs, photographs, tables, equations, maps, schemes, etc.) in oral presentations into decorative, illustrative or complementary; describing the production of meanings from the inscription readings using a Semiotic Model to the Reading of Inscriptions; and classifying types of inscription readings into competent, transparent, or problematic reading. Concerning the extent of the graphicacy of the groups investigated, one of them can be found in the analytical dimension, in which the students see and use the inscriptions as scientific data. The other groups are in the elementary dimension, in which the students use and see the inscriptions primarily as illustrators of scientific knowledge, having restricted contact with the various types of inscription. Competent reading was predominant in all presentations, which was expected and appropriate due to the context and communicative nature of the oral presentation. A new type of reading for inscriptions was identified called reverse competent reading. In addition, this study contributes to designing actions that promote graphicacy, as well as theoretical contributions to include the discussion of this theme in teacher training courses.

Keywords

• o presente trabalho investiga a extensão do letramento gráfico de estudantes de bacharelado em química em uma disciplina de comunicação científica durante a realização de exposições orais produzidas a partir de artigos originais de pesquisa. as obras de w