research | science-analogies

Research

The following articles are meant to answer the questions:

1. How analogies can be useful?

2. How do analogies work?

3. Why is developing analogies important?

Analogies in science and science teaching. Simon Brown and Susan Salter

This article identifies how the process of analogy takes place, misconceptions surrounding analogies, as well as how to teach analogies. This article is very academic in its language however it does a good job of breaking down analogy into a process.

Making science concepts meaningful to students: teaching with analogies. Shawn M. Glynn

This article explains what analogies are, how analogies work as well as what is needed for analogies to be most effective. This article does a good job focusing on how to develop effective analogies. The article includes teacher experiences and a good example of theory into practice.

Lost in translation: the dangers of using analogies in science. Richard Roche

There are pros and cons to each strategy that teachers use. Richard Roche, who holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, expresses some of the problems an analogy (one that is not well thought out) may cause. This article emphasizes the need for teachers to be selective about the analogies they choose to use.