Journal Articles

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Browsing Journal Articles by Subject "Analogies"

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    An examination of types and usefulness of analogies generated by upper primary school students - A case study
    (Science Teachers Association of Nigeria, 2011-12) Maharaj-Sharma, Rawatee
    This article discusses the nature, type, and usefulness of analogies generated by upper primary school students. It looks at the range of analogies upper primary school students generate and how they use them to develop conceptual understandings. Fifty-five Standard 4 students were asked to generate analogies during a science unit of work and to complete a Perceptions Questionnaire about the instructional utility of the analogies they generated. A number of different analogies were generated by the students and while many students indicated that analogies represented a fun and interesting way to learn science concepts, some of the students preferred the use of summaries and worked examples, and suggested that these were more effective in helping them to develop scientific conceptual understandings
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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.