From Material Objects to Social Objects: Researching the Material-Dialogic Spaces of Joint Attention in a School-based Makerspace

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the material-discursive spaces of joint attention between students and their teachers in a school-based makerspace. Drawing on sociocultural theorizing, Bakhtinian inspired notion of the "dialogic space", and material-discursive onto- epistemology, we introduce the concept of social object to explain how material objects can turn into joint attention and meaning-making in ongoing interaction. Video recordings (75 hours) of 94 students' aged 9 to 12 years old and their teachers' interactions in the makerspace were analyzed. The study shows how the material objects of the makerspace were enacted into social objects via joint attention about the objects, around the objects and with the objects. The study demonstrates the need to rethink the meaning and role of material objects in novel educational makerspaces for establishing and negotiating joint attention, mediating learning opportunities and tensions.