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Observations from secondary school classrooms in Trinidad and Tobago: Science teachers’ use of analogies
(International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE)., 2015-12) Maharaj-Sharma, Rawatee; Sharma, A.
This study sought to examine and interpret how science teachers in Trinidad and Tobago used analogies in their science teaching. A total of 30 lessons taught by five different teachers were observed and analysed, using an interpretative research methodology to develop generalized observations. The findings revealed that, in general, science teachers used few analogies in their teaching; and that the analogies used ranged from simple to technical. Interviews following the classroom observations revealed that the teachers were knowledgeable about analogy use in science teaching, and about some of the benefits and challenges of using analogies to teach science. The research suggests that effective use of analogies in classroom science teaching is an area that needs attention from two perspectives: 1) development or acquisition of relevant analogies for use by teachers, and 2) reorientation of teachers through professional training into a view of learners as constructors of knowledge instead of passive knowledge receptors.