Bodies in Science
The Role of Human Bodies in Learning Abstract Scientific Concepts

Organized by

Charlotte Müller
Early-Career Fellow 2024–2025

Informations

This is a public event. Participation is free of charge.
No registration is needed.

The event is followed by a small reception.

When toddlers first start making sense of the world, they do so through touch, movement, and sensory interactions. Over time, these early experiences provide the foundation for integrating increasingly complex information. However, if learning is built on sensorimotor experiences, how can we grasp abstract, imperceptible concepts such as molecules, the atmosphere, or general relativity? How do humans reason about ideas they can never directly perceive?

In this panel discussion, leading experts on learning across various STEM domains examine the role of sensorimotor experiences—and, by extension, our bodies—in understanding scientific concepts. Each panelist offers a unique perspective, grounded in their original training in physics, chemistry, psychology, biology, or political science. Together, they will discuss whether science education should more actively involve the body (and how) and whether we should teach about the embodied origins of scientific concepts (and what they entail).

Who should attend?

• STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) educators interested in how the students’ physical bodies affect learning.
• Researchers interested in (STEM) learning processes.
• Scientists, students, and lay people interested in how we understand scientific concepts.

Program

Panelists' bios

Magdalena Kersting

Assistant Professor of Science Education
University of Copenhagen, DK

With a background in mathematics, physics, and science communication, Magdalena Kersting holds a doctorate in physics education research from the University of Oslo (NO). She is a recipient of the International Astronomical Union Ph.D. Prize in Education, Outreach, and Heritage. Her research intersects science education, embodied cognition, and technology perspectives, with a focus on how embodied experiences shape scientific understanding.

Kai Niebert

Professor of Science and Sustainability Education
University of Zurich, CH

Kai Niebert has a background in biology, chemistry, and political science and earned his doctorate on climate change education from the Leibniz University Hannover. He advises various governments and international institutions on environmental policy and is active in numerous organizations, including the German Council for Sustainable Development.

Venera Gashaj

Psychologist and senior lecturer
University of Teacher Education in Special Needs, CH

Venera Gashaj completed her doctorate project at the University of Bern (CH) where she investigated the longitudinal relationship between mathematics and motor skills in children during the transition from kindergarten to second grade. Her research focuses on numerical cognition, specifically the intersection of embodied cognition and the development of basic numerical skills.

Tamer Amin

Associate Professor of Science Education
American University of Beirut, LB

Tamer Amin obtained an MA in Chemistry from Boston University (US) and an MA and doctorate in developmental psychology from Clark University (US). His primary area of research interest deals with characterizing the cognitive underpinnings of scientific expertise, how scientific expertise is acquired and the implications for designing effective science instruction.