#711: Exploring the Roles of Silliness and Play in Student Group Work Using Epistemological Frames

This study examines how humor and silliness function as productive forms of engagement in collaborative, inquiry-based science learning. Drawing on the framework of epistemological framing, it explores how first-generation and deaf and hard of hearing students participating in a metacognitive, studio-style summer program made sense of their group work through talk and body language. Video data from four student groups were coded along two dimensions – task (on/off-task) and seriousness (serious/silly) – and visualized to identify intersections between on-task and silly framing. Qualitative interaction analysis revealed four roles of humor: directing attention, transitioning from off-task to on-task engagement, epistemic distancing, and relieving tension. Findings demonstrate that playful behavior can support learning by fostering collaboration, mitigating uncertainty, and sustaining engagement. By reconceptualizing silliness as a form of epistemological participation, this work extends framing theory and highlights the value of humor in creating inclusive, human-centered science learning environments.