Taxonomy of ten symbolic representation types for heat and temperature in high school science textbooks¶

Design Method · All design methods
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 review), q1 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

An appendix study applied and modified Hooper's mathematics taxonomy to symbolic representations of heat and temperature in three widely used LAUSD physical science textbooks. Three raters independently sorted sixty-eight extracted examples into categories, yielding "Ten distinct types of symbolic representations": verbal, diagrams (defined along concrete/abstract, static/dynamic, labeled/unlabeled dimensions), photographs, tables, graphs, and equations (in words or symbols). The taxonomy is intended to guide construction of achievement test items in alternative symbolic forms.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

Rater sorting of extracted textbook examples with consensus discussion to establish categories

Constraints¶

Verbal representations were not included in the extraction exercise though understood as a major representation; the taxonomy was developed only for heat and temperature in three textbooks

Target Learners¶

high school physical science students of average to below average abilities

Target Goals¶

understanding of heat and temperature concepts in physical science

Claims¶

Typical verbal achievement tests may underestimate students' subject-matter knowledge because of a mismatch between the test's symbolic form and students' symbolic encoding [+W]

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

Shavelson, Richard J.; Webb, Noreen M.; Lehman, Penny. (1986). The Role of Symbol Systems in Problem Solving: A Literature Review. CSE Report No. 269. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED338680

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`method`
`id`	`science-textbook-symbolic-representation-taxonomy`
`title`	`Taxonomy of ten symbolic representation types for heat and temperature in high school science textbooks`
`description`	`An appendix study applied and modified Hooper's mathematics taxonomy to symbolic representations of heat and temperature in three widely used LAUSD physical science textbooks.`
`status`	`review`
`generated`	by `process:wiki-ingest` on `2026-09-26`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `shavelson-1986`

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