Research School Network: What on earth are polysemous words: and why should we care about them in our science teaching? How can we use polysemous words alongside Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary to improve our teaching of science?

The English language has a habit of throwing teachers some unwanted curveballs, and the vocabulary involved in the teaching of science is no exception to this.

It is no surprise that Michelle’s class had preconceptions around the word ​‘power’. It is an example of a polysemous word: one which has both a scientific and an everyday meaning. Other examples include light, force, and attract.

Polysemous words can be problematic in the classroom, as pupils might have preconceptions about what these words mean, with their definitions often lacking scientific accuracy. In fact, sometimes the everyday meaning of a word actively harms our science teaching and can lead to misconceptions. Consider ​‘light’: pupils may think of light as a bedroom lamp or a torch on an iPhone rather than natural light sources such as the sun, fire, and stars.

Scientific vocabulary can often be confusing and abstract.

Research shows that explicitly teaching pupils scientific vocabulary can be a useful strategy in helping pupils to learn. Access to a rich scientific vocabulary can help pupils to actively participate in science learning and to effectively communicate their understanding.

In order to support this, some of the strategies below might help:

When teaching science, alongside identifying relevant Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary, we should consider whether any polysemous terms are likely to cause confusion or misconceptions. 

These can be considered as part of planning a unit of work and science leads can play an important role in supporting this.

For example, collaborative planning for teachers alongside the science lead can help in developing a consistent understanding of scientific terminology, alongside consideration of misconceptions which might arise through the inclusion of polysemous vocabulary.

Returning to our vignette, creating clear links between the concepts of voltage and current, which pupils are already familar with, and the cocept of power can help the pupils in understanding that this word has a scientific meaning which is far more specific its everyday usage.

In addition, modelling that language being used in a scientific context, alongside multiple opportunities for pupils themselves to use the vocabulary in context, supports pupils in seeing beyond the familar everyday usage of the word.