Research Article

The role of gestures in teaching and learning anatomy and physiology

Stephanie Wallace 1 * , Hayat Hokayem 1
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1 Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA* Corresponding Author
Eurasian Journal of Science and Environmental Education, 6(1), June 2026, 43-49, https://doi.org/10.30935/ejsee/18439
Submitted: 24 November 2025, Published: 21 April 2026
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ABSTRACT

Anatomy and physiology is an undergraduate science course with a reputation of being a “gatekeeping” course because students must achieve a grade of C or better to continue with coursework in the student’s chosen STEM major, which many students fail to accomplish. The volume of material and complexity of the content are two reasons why the course is difficult for students to master and nationally has a high drop/fail/withdraw rate. This study examines the role of gestures in teaching and learning in an undergraduate anatomy and physiology course and asks these research questions: (1) Do pointing gestures by students affect student outcomes more than pointing gestures by the teacher alone? and (2) Do representational gestures by students affect student outcomes? We found that representational gestures helped students learn cranial nerve content better compared to students who did not use gestures as measured by exam scores. Additionally, after a unit incorporating gestures in teaching and learning, students indicated that they would be more likely to use their hands to study and learn in the future.
Keywords: gestures, learning, embodiment, science education, physiology

CITATION (APA)

Wallace, S., & Hokayem, H. (2026). The role of gestures in teaching and learning anatomy and physiology. Eurasian Journal of Science and Environmental Education, 6(1), 43-49. https://doi.org/10.30935/ejsee/18439

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