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Understanding Graphical Literacy Using School Students' Comprehension Strategies

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Title: Understanding Graphical Literacy Using School Students' Comprehension Strategies
Language: English
Authors: Sindhu Mathai (ORCID 0000-0003-4299-0113), Parvathi Krishnan, Jaya Sreevalsan-Nair
Source: Contemporary Education Dialogue. 2025 22(1):40-74.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 35
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Junior High Schools
Middle Schools
Secondary Education
High Schools
Grade 5
Intermediate Grades
Grade 7
Grade 9
Descriptors: Multiple Literacies, Graphs, Elementary School Students, Middle School Students, High School Students, Data Interpretation, Grade 5, Grade 7, Grade 9, Comprehension, Learning Strategies, Barriers, Grade Level Differences, Foreign Countries, Statistics
Geographic Terms: India
DOI: 10.1177/09731849241242855
ISSN: 0973-1849
2249-5320
Abstract: Graphical literacy or graphicacy is a critical component of scientific literacy. Graphs are used to integrate and represent complex sets of information requiring abstraction from perceptual experience. They form essential parts of the Mathematics and Science curriculum across school curricular stages. A key to developing meaningful pedagogic practices to inculcate graphical literacy is in understanding how students perceive and comprehend features of graphs and interpret them. This study attempts to understand how children from the primary, middle and high school years, perceive and interpret information in bar and line graphs. Two hundred and twenty-nine children from four different school contexts in Grades 5, 7 and 9 were administered questionnaires and interviewed based on tasks requiring comprehension of graphs. It was found that children's understanding of graphs was tied to the curricular progression which was significant at Grades 5 and 9. Comprehension of bar graphs with nominal data was easier compared to line graphs requiring integration of information from two dimensions and interpreting them. Further, graphs requiring preliminary levels of statistical understanding were easier to comprehend. While prior experience and facility with graphical conventions played a role, interpretation from spatial to symbolic representations posed challenges. Students did not have a clearly preferred strategy or a linear comprehension trajectory, but moved back and forth between conventions, clustering of graphical elements and written content in questions, to make meaning. Those who had performed well used various perceptual strategies simultaneously. Further, they were found to employ transformational reasoning based on a sense of 'how things work'. It was observed that meaningful pedagogic practices at school and informal experiences outside the classroom aid graphical literacy.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1457597
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Understanding Graphical Literacy Using School Students' Comprehension Strategies
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sindhu+Mathai%22">Sindhu Mathai</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4299-0113">0000-0003-4299-0113</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Parvathi+Krishnan%22">Parvathi Krishnan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jaya+Sreevalsan-Nair%22">Jaya Sreevalsan-Nair</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Contemporary+Education+Dialogue%22"><i>Contemporary Education Dialogue</i></searchLink>. 2025 22(1):40-74.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: 35
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Junior+High+Schools%22">Junior High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Middle+Schools%22">Middle Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Intermediate+Grades%22">Intermediate Grades</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+9%22">Grade 9</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Multiple+Literacies%22">Multiple Literacies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Graphs%22">Graphs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+School+Students%22">Middle School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+School+Students%22">High School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+Interpretation%22">Data Interpretation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+5%22">Grade 5</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+7%22">Grade 7</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+9%22">Grade 9</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comprehension%22">Comprehension</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Strategies%22">Learning Strategies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+Level+Differences%22">Grade Level Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistics%22">Statistics</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22India%22">India</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/09731849241242855
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  Data: Graphical literacy or graphicacy is a critical component of scientific literacy. Graphs are used to integrate and represent complex sets of information requiring abstraction from perceptual experience. They form essential parts of the Mathematics and Science curriculum across school curricular stages. A key to developing meaningful pedagogic practices to inculcate graphical literacy is in understanding how students perceive and comprehend features of graphs and interpret them. This study attempts to understand how children from the primary, middle and high school years, perceive and interpret information in bar and line graphs. Two hundred and twenty-nine children from four different school contexts in Grades 5, 7 and 9 were administered questionnaires and interviewed based on tasks requiring comprehension of graphs. It was found that children's understanding of graphs was tied to the curricular progression which was significant at Grades 5 and 9. Comprehension of bar graphs with nominal data was easier compared to line graphs requiring integration of information from two dimensions and interpreting them. Further, graphs requiring preliminary levels of statistical understanding were easier to comprehend. While prior experience and facility with graphical conventions played a role, interpretation from spatial to symbolic representations posed challenges. Students did not have a clearly preferred strategy or a linear comprehension trajectory, but moved back and forth between conventions, clustering of graphical elements and written content in questions, to make meaning. Those who had performed well used various perceptual strategies simultaneously. Further, they were found to employ transformational reasoning based on a sense of 'how things work'. It was observed that meaningful pedagogic practices at school and informal experiences outside the classroom aid graphical literacy.
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        Value: 10.1177/09731849241242855
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 35
        StartPage: 40
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Multiple Literacies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Graphs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Middle School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High School Students
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      – SubjectFull: Data Interpretation
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 5
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 7
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      – SubjectFull: Grade 9
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      – SubjectFull: Comprehension
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learning Strategies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Barriers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade Level Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Statistics
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      – SubjectFull: India
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      – TitleFull: Understanding Graphical Literacy Using School Students' Comprehension Strategies
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              Y: 2025
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