Conservation in Meaning-Making

This article explores the principle of conservation as an analogy to understand the relative stability in the process of meaning-making, drawing parallels between physical and chemical transformations in the natural sciences and semiotic transformations in human psychology. By integrating concepts from thermodynamics, semiotics, and cultural psychology, the discussion proposes that the permanent impermanence of signs allows for a relative stability of meaning, even amid contextual change. The theoretical foundation draws on the works of Vygotsky, Peirce, and Valsiner, especially in relation to the distinction between sense and meaning and the dynamic regulation of signs over time. The article introduces the notion of semiotic conservation, suggesting that while signs may shift in context, certain core elements of meaning are preserved, particularly in educational and communicative contexts. The process of microgenesis is presented as a key mechanism through which signs transform while maintaining continuity. Two illustrative examples support the argument: one based on the scientific concept of heat and its various uses in everyday and metaphorical language, and a second drawn from student responses in science education, showing how meanings associated with heat remain tied to bodily sensation and warmth despite instruction on energy transfer. These examples highlight the coexistence of scientific and everyday meanings and demonstrate how learning involves not the replacement, but the reorganization of existing semiotic elements. The article argues that conservation in meaning-making ensures a degree of continuity, allowing for both cultural stability and cognitive development. Understanding this dynamic has important implications for science education, communication, and the study of psychological development.