Terminological variation in science education: Barrier or pedagogical resource?

Abstract

This article examines the role of denominative variation in science textbooks, with the aim of determining whether this phenomenon supports or hinders students’ knowledge acquisition. The analysis is based on a systematic examination of the Biologia i Geologia 3rd-year ESO textbook published by Barcanova in 2020. A total of 105 instances of denominative variation were identified, most of which contain two denominations, with only five examples containing three, and they were classified according to the type of formal change. The results show that the presentation of variation follows a clear pattern: parentheses are used mainly to present abbreviated forms; the conjunction or indicates lexical changes, although it shares this function with other markers; and the absence of a marker signals reductions and discursive variants. In conclusion, we highlight three aspects. First, the importance of uniformity in the presentation of variation to facilitate learning. Second, that the acquisition of scientific terminology increases not only scientific knowledge but also linguistic knowledge. And finally, that the traditional debate between “eliminating synonyms” and “using them pedagogically” should give way to a third approach: “regulating them didactically.”