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This study examines how grade 7–8 pupils (13–14) engage with infrared thermal cameras during predict–observe–explain activities on heat conduction. Findings show that sufficient prior conceptual understanding enables true dialogue and meaningful interpretation of thermal imagery, whereas insufficient understanding increases reliance on triadic dialogue.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/thermal-cameras-as-a-semiotic-resource-for-inquiry-in-a-south-african-township-school-context/601012/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/thermal-cameras-as-a-semiotic-resource-for-inquiry-in-a-south-african-township-school-context/601012.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"mieayamfan","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":29},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why are inquiry-based approaches hard to adopt in South African township schools?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Educational research cited in the paper indicates that teachers and students in disadvantaged areas find inquiry-based approaches very challenging to adopt.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How were the pupils introduced to thermal cameras in the study?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Grade 7 and 8 pupils (13–14 years old) in two South African township schools used infrared (IR) cameras during predict–observe–explain (POE) exercises on heat conduction.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What determines whether pupils engage in true dialogue during the POE tasks?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"The results indicate that pupils could engage in true dialogue and interpret thermal camera imagery when they had sufficient prior conceptual understanding of heat conduction.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},601012,1792171576,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":29,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":41},962090893677,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2","Dolo, G., et al. (2018). Thermal Cameras as a Semiotic Resource for Inquiry in a South African Township School Context. Designs for Learning,10(1),123–134. DOI: [https://doi.org/10.16993/dfl.96](https://doi.org/10.16993/dfl.96)  \n\n| RESEARCH\u003Cbr>Thermal Cameras as a Semiotic Resource for Inquiry in a South African Township School Context\u003Cbr>Gilbert Dolo*, Jesper Haglund† and Konrad Schönborn‡ |\n| --- |\n| Inquiry-based approaches to science education are central to recent South African primary and secondary school curricula, but have been found challenging to adopt in disadvantaged township contexts. It is therefore important to find ways of introducing inquiry-based approaches, where pupils are encouraged to investigate phenomena they are interested in and to engage in true dialogue, as opposed to teacher-led triadic dialogue. We typically experience thermal phenomena through the sense of touch, but infrared (IR) cameras provide an additional opportunity to experience heat-related phenomena through the visual sense. Previously, in a Swedish context, we have found that hand-held IR cameras allow for strong pedagogical affordances and inspire pupils to engage in inquiry in the area of thermal science. In the present case study, grade 7 and 8 pupils (13–14 years old) in two South African township schools were introduced to IR cameras during predict-observe-explain (POE) exercises on heat conduction. The results revealed that if pupils had a sufficient conceptual understanding of heat conduction beforehand, they were capable of engaging in true dialogue in relation to the exercises and interpreting the thermal camera visual imagery. However, if pupils did not show such understanding, it was tempting for them and the facilitatorto resort to triadic dialogue. |\n| Keywords: science education; thermal cameras; heat conduction; township schools |\n\nIntroduction  \nMany contributions to science education research literature over the last five decades have demonstrated that inquiry experiences can provide positive and meaningful opportunities for developing pupils’ conceptual understanding (e.g. Minner, Levy & Century, 2010) . The South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) contains a clear directive that teaching should incorporate inquiry-based instruction, where learning is guided by students’ own questions and curiosity (Department of Basic Education, 2011). However, educational research (e.g. Clark & Linder, 2006; Ramnarain, 2016) has indicated that teachers and students at schools in disadvantaged areas in South Africa find it very challenging to adopt inquirybased approaches. Aspects of our previous work in a Swedish context (Haglund et al., 2015, 2016; Schönborn et al., 2014) have concerned the use of hand-held infrared (IR) cameras (also known as thermal cameras) in the development of practical activities for teaching thermal science. These activities aim to stimulate student inquiry and have been implemented at various educational levels spanning from pre-school through to tertiary contexts.  \n* University of Cape Town, ZA † Karlstad University, SE ‡ Linköping University, SE  \nCorresponding author: Jesper Haglund ([jesper.haglund@kau.se](jesper.haglund@kau.se))  \nThermal science has always been a core component of international science curricula, and a topic of intense educational research (e.g. Linn & Eylon, 2011). With ideas such as temperature, heat, energy, and its relevance to topics such as climate change, it is an area of science education that transcends physics, chemistry and biology.  \nTo date, one salient finding in our investigations is that pupils and students of all ages find interaction with thermal cameras very engaging and stimulating – the activities seem to catalyse instant “what if” explorations (Haglund et al., 2016). Another finding is the encouraging meaning-making power offered by simple thermal camera laboratory tasks, such as an exercise in heat conduction using ceramic and plastic cup","cbCaijUCuNRJFdvs","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaijUCuNRJFdvs","pdf",1720537,12,"English","# Introduction\n## Inquiry-based science education in South Africa\n## Thermal cameras for thermal science inquiry\n# Theoretical Background\n## Conceptual understanding of heat conduction\n## The role of thermal cameras","[{\"question\":\"Why are inquiry-based approaches hard to adopt in South African township schools?\",\"answer\":\"Educational research cited in the paper indicates that teachers and students in disadvantaged areas find inquiry-based approaches very challenging to adopt.\"},{\"question\":\"How were the pupils introduced to thermal cameras in the study?\",\"answer\":\"Grade 7 and 8 pupils (13–14 years old) in two South African township schools used infrared (IR) cameras during predict–observe–explain (POE) exercises on heat conduction.\"},{\"question\":\"What determines whether pupils engage in true dialogue during the POE tasks?\",\"answer\":\"The results indicate that pupils could engage in true dialogue and interpret thermal camera imagery when they had sufficient prior conceptual understanding of heat conduction.\"}]","Thermal Cameras as a Semiotic Resource for Inquiry in a South African Township School Context | PDF",1792091804]