Action and Gesture in teacher demonstration: Visual attention and learning

Data set originated for the study with the same name: This study contributes to the debate about the relative benefits of two pervasive resources used by teachers to support children’s learning: actions with manipulatives and gestures (represented actions). It does so by examining how these resources influence children’s visual attention and subsequent learning. Eighty-one children (4-6yrs) watched a video of a teacher explaining a numerical relationship in one of three conditions: using manipulatives (Action), using hands (Gesture) or no hand movements (Control). All children solved a related numerical problem and provided their own explanation both before and after the teacher’s explanation. As predicted, teacher’s actions attracted greater visual attention to their hands than gestures, and both more than control. Subsequent learning effects were not found, although may be attributable to task type and duration. Notwithstanding, the study demonstrates the methodological value for revealing embodied learning mechanisms, and potential to inform the pedagogical use of gesture and action in teaching. The database includes all the variables collected as well as the Rscripts used to analyse and report the data from the article