Ko, M.-L. M., & Luna, M. J.
Original article: The glue that makes it “hang together”: A framework for identifying how metadiscourse facilitates uncertainty navigation during knowledge building discussions. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 61(2), 457–486. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21893

Classroom discussions are one of the most powerful tools for student engagement in science learning, but they can also be messy. Students often raise questions, share partial ideas, or express uncertainty as they work together to make sense of scientific concepts. This study introduces a framework that helps teachers recognize the “glue” that holds these discussions together: metadiscourse markers (MDMs)—the small but important words and phrases students and teachers use to manage uncertainty and build knowledge.

What are metadiscourse markers?
MDMs are the non-content words and phrases—such as “maybe,” “it could be,” or “probably”—that signal how an idea is being shared. They help organize the flow of conversation, show attitudes toward ideas, and indicate how students use evidence and resources to support their thinking.

Types of MDMs in science classrooms:

• Organizational markers: guide the structure of discussion and signal how to participate.
• Interpretive markers: express perspective, expectation, or evaluation of ideas.
• Epistemic markers: show how evidence, resources, or reasoning are being used. 

By studying real talk from elementary and secondary science classrooms, the researchers found that MDMs help students and teachers raise, maintain, and resolve uncertainty as they co-construct scientific explanations. These markers connect ideas across multiple turns of talk, highlight resources for knowledge building, and make student reasoning visible.

Why this matters for teachers:
Teachers’ own use of MDMs can influence whether a classroom community embraces or avoids uncertainty during science learning. Attending to these subtle aspects of student talk can help teachers:

• Support collaborative sensemaking.
• Encourage students to take risks and share tentative ideas.
• Connect individual contributions into richer, community-built explanations.
• Strengthen alignment with NGSS science practices such as argumentation and explanation. 

Paying attention to how students (and teachers) use small words like “maybe” and “I think” can provide powerful insights into how scientific knowledge is co-constructed. For teachers, recognizing and intentionally using MDMs is a practical strategy to improve classroom discourse and deepen science learning.