Elaborate analogies in science text: Tools for enhancing preservice teachers’ knowledge and attitudes (original) (raw)

How analogies foster learning from science texts

Instructional Science, 1997

This article provides an introduction to extended text-based analogies used for instructional purposes in science textbooks. A theoretical framework for understanding learning via extended analogies is discussed, and examples of extended textual analogies are provided. Research which provides direction in how to optimally use analogies in science instruction is reviewed. Characteristics of good analogies, types of learners who might benefit

Enhancing Student Understanding Through Analogies in Teaching Science Concepts: Teacher and Faculty Prespectives

Over 250 high school teachers and college instructors were asked to indicate their frequency of use of analogies in teaching biology or chemistry concepts and to provide their perspectives on the sources of these analogies and on their usefulness in teaching and learning science concepts. In addition, they were asked to provide examples of analogies they were using and to shed light on the characteristics of effective analogies. This paper describes the study, shares the results, and discusses the implications of the findings for students, instructors, curriculum and academic leaders. A case is made not only for including more analogies in the teaching and learning process, but also for using the type of language, phrases, and experiences today’s students are familiar with and use on a daily basis. It concludes that analogical thinking and the use of analogy motivates leaner, accelerates learning, and deepens their comprehension.

Use of Analogies in Science Education, a Systematic Mapping Study

This systematic mapping study consisted of tracking the scientific literature that addresses the issue of analogies as a didactic strategy in science teaching. An analogy can be understood as comparing an existing knowledge with a new knowledge to achieve a better understanding of the new knowledge as a result of the comparison of similarities; or in other words, use students' own concepts to introduce new concepts using comparisons between the two. The purpose of this study was to identify, analyze, synthesize and evaluate research works that touched on this topic, with this, to have knowledge about the models of uses of analogies, most used didactic strategies, research methodologies in this field and how to evaluate the learning effectiveness of working with analogies. The methodology that was used is the systematic mapping study; Five questions were posed that guided the information tracking process. Later, the electronic documents in English for the last twenty years were traced in five databases related to the educational field. Finally, it is concluded by responding to the purpose of the study where it is evident that, broadly speaking, the research methodologies in this field are quantitative as well as qualitative, to implement analogies, resources such as images, illustrations, textual indications and audiovisual aids are used, it is usually evaluated the effectiveness of using analogies with multiple choice tests, oral tests of creating analogies by students.

Analogies as Tools for Meaning Making in Elementary Science Education: How Do They Work in Classroom Settings?

EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 2011

In this paper there is a critical overview of the role of analogies as tools for meaning making in science education, their advantages and disadvantages. Two empirical studies on the use of analogies in primary classrooms are discussed and analysed. In the first study, the 'string circuit' analogy was used in the teaching of electric circuits with students aged 8-9. In the second study, the 'making a cake' analogy was introduced within the study of photosynthesis with students aged 10-11. Outcomes of both studies are scrutinised to assess the effectiveness of analogies as tools for meaning making. How the analogies are presented, their contexts, and how much students are involved in mapping the analogical relations appear to be determinant. This strongly suggests that research and pedagogical practice should shift from determining the effectiveness of analogy in cognitive transfer, from analogue to target domains, towards the recognition of its role in generating engagement in developing meaningful explanations through discourse. Finally, most salient aspects of the use of analogies are considered for contexts in which they are used to promote understanding of scientific ideas. Analogy can play and important role in that task if it is seen as a resource to promote understanding and meaning making but its strengths and limitations are not ignored.

Research Trends about Analogy Studies in Science Education: A Descriptive Content Analysis

Journal of Science Learning

Analogies are bridges between prior knowledge and new knowledge to make meaning of the new one. Analogies are particularly effective in teaching science concepts that are not very apparent in the students' everyday lives due to their abstract nature. For this reason, it is essential to adapt analogies to teach new concepts effectively in science education. Analogy-related studies published between 2009 and 2020 were examined in this manuscript to determine the use of analogies as a teaching technique in science education (Physics, Chemistry, Biology). To reach the studies about "Analogy," ERIC, EBSCO, Springer LINK, Taylor Francis, Wiley Online Library Full Collection, Science Direct, ProQuest Dissertations, Theses Global, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases were searched. Then, Turkish databases, including ULAKBIM and YÖK (National Thesis Center), were also searched. A total of 80 research papers published between 2009 and 2020 that met the study's criteria were ...

Science Teachers' Use of Analogies: Findings from Classroom Practices

European Journal of Educational Research, 2022

This paper is a quasi-experimental investigation into the effectiveness of using analogy in teaching new and unfamiliar physics concepts to students enrolled in a British curriculum school in the United Arab Emirates. The students (N = 34) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the control group (N = 17) following the traditional teaching method, and the experimental group (N = 17) using the student-centered analogical method. The students relied on previous class knowledge to construct models, which in turn helped them explore new ideas and derive new knowledge. Pre-tests and post-tests were given to the two groups, where the post-test (test 6) results confirmed that the experimental group showed a more consistent outcome of high grades, no failure, and good homogeneity of results. On the other hand, the control group kept fluctuating around the same level in the all-study’s tests (pre-test and repeated measures (tests 2,3,4 and 5). The effect size of the intervention was ver...