Second graders’ multimodal reasoning in playful inquiry-based mathematics activities

This qualitative study aims to provide insights into lower primary students’ multimodal reasoning from a sociocultural perspective, examining their use of diverse semiotic means of objectification. The pedagogical approach of playful learning was combined with an inquiry approach to engage groups of seven-year-olds in mathematical activities designed collaboratively with participating teachers. Video recordings were generated and transcribed, focusing on participants’ dialogue and actions, and analysed using a reflexive thematic approach. The study shows that the second graders’ multimodal reasoning was characterised by the integration of reasoning words and deixis in speech, synchronised with gestures and the use of artefacts during interactions with peers and the teacher. These three semiotic means emerged as the most prominent cultural tools employed by the students to direct attention, establish shared meanings, and actualise arithmetic knowledge when solving the initial problem and extending it through their own elaborations. The teacher’s balanced involvement supported the reasoning process by responding to the students’ problem expansions and fostering a sense of autonomy in decision-making. Implications are drawn regarding the teacher’s role in guided play.