Chinese Children’ Drawing in Science Class

Numerous studies have shown that the use of drawing in primary school classrooms is effective. Drawing helps children understand scientific concepts, express their ideas, and communicate. However, the use of drawing in classrooms in China is limited. In this qualitative exploratory study, we examined the role of drawing in a primary school science classroom in China. The teacher used drawings at all stages of the implementation of the teaching, and provided the 12 students of the class with drawing options when they were asked to complete tasks. Before and after a teaching intervention, we administered questionnaires and conducted interviews with students. Through analysis of the students’ drawings and information from a survey and interviews, we found that the students all subsequently chose to complete the tasks by drawing independently and, over time, the teacher reported that the students were able to complete the tasks faster and better. Through drawing, the students also behaved more actively during group communication activities. In addition, we found that the drawing examples provided by the teacher greatly influenced the students’ drawings. These findings provide support for the effectiveness of drawing in primary school science classrooms in China. However, we also found some problems in the use of drawing and we propose some ways for solving such problems.