Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education (한국초등과학교육학회지:초등과학교육)

The Korean Elementary Science Education Society (한국초등과학교육학회)
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Emerging Spatial Language Features in Elementary Students' Processes of Explaining Seasonal-Change Illustrations

초등학생의 계절 변화 삽화 설명 과정에 나타난 공간 언어 특징

  • Received : 2025.08.27
  • Accepted : 2025.10.12
  • Published : 2025.10.31
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Abstract

This study explores spatial language characteristics that emerge in elementary school students' process of explaining illustrations of seasonal changes. Participants included 29 sixth graders from central Korea, and four tasks were developed to guide semistructured interviews. These tasks addressed daily solar altitude changes; seasonal differences in culmination altitude, axial tilt, and revolution; and the relation between seasonal changes and solar altitude. Data from transcripts, video recordings, and researcher notes were analyzed using the geoscience spatial skills framework. Findings show that, in the explanation process, students described positions and heights by relying primarily on relative references such as direction, left-right orientation, and distance and tended to use qualitative and everyday expressions rather than angle, axis, or other concepts. In addition, they explained illustration elements such as spheres, cylinders, and arrows by often focusing on visible cues such as shadows or distance differences. These results suggest a discrepancy between the spatial language required for understanding seasonal-change concepts in textbook illustrations and the language that students actually use. By examining the emergence of spatial language during students' explanation processes, this study offers a deeper insight into their conceptual understanding of seasonal changes as well as a foundation for developing instructional strategies to foster spatial thinking skills.

이 연구는 초등학생이 계절 변화 삽화를 설명하는 과정에서 나타나는 공간 언어의 특징을 탐색하는 데 목적이 있다. 이를 위해 중부 지방에 위치한 D초등학교 6학년 29명을 대상으로 네 가지 과제를 개발하여 반구조화된 인터뷰를 실시하였다. 과제는 하루 동안 태양의 고도 변화, 계절별 남중고도 변화, 자전축 기울기와 공전, 계절 변화와 남중고도의 관계를 중심으로 구성되었다. 수집된 발화는 전사본, 영상 자료, 연구자 메모를 바탕으로 지구과학 공간 기술 프레임워크에 따라 분석하였다. 연구 결과, 학생들은 위치와 높이를 설명할 때 방위, 좌우, 거리와 같은 상대적 기준을 주로 활용하였으며, 각도와 축 개념보다는 정성적이고 일상적인 표현에 의존하는 경향을 보였다. 또한 구, 원기둥, 화살표 등 삽화 요소를 설명할 때 그림자나 거리 차이와 같은 가시적 단서를 중심으로 이해하는 모습을 보였다. 이는 교과서 삽화에 제시된 계절 변화 학습에서 요구되는 공간 언어와 학생들의 실제 언어 사이에 괴리가 존재함을 시사한다. 본 연구는 학생들의 공간 언어 사용 양상을 밝힘으로써 계절 변화 학습에서 나타나는 이해 과정을 보다 심층적으로 설명하고, 나아가 공간적 사고 능력 향상을 지원하는 교수학습 전략 수립에 기초 자료를 제공한다.

Keywords

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