THE CONCEPTIONS ABOUT ANALOGIES IN THE DISCOURSE OF TEACHERS TRAINING IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE

Abstract

The analogies used in science teaching are comparisons between two heterogeneous domains, one familiar and the other unfamiliar. Although such analogies are widely used in class, both teachers and students are often confused about their meaning. This because the enunciations are given without any previous planning, evidenced by the fact that teacher education courses do not offer subjects concerning such discussions. Thus, teachers use these resources in the classroom but do not reflect on the subject. To shed light on this issue, this study aims to identify what conceptions students of two biological science programs have about the uses of analogies in teaching. This research is qualitative, and the data collection was carried out through a semi-structured survey with four questions. The questions inquired about students' conceptions regarding the use of analogies to make explanations, when to use analogies, and if analogies and metaphors have the same meaning. The results showed that the students' conceptions were diverse. There was an intimate association between the analogous organs of evolutionary biology with the analogies as a didactic resource, demonstrating confusion between the didactic analogy and the biological analogy. When trying to make differentiations, students confuse them with other types of comparisons such as metaphors, and they use this resource to facilitate their understanding of the topic, when the concept seems abstract or difficult, to introduce a new topic or to explain content. It is necessary for discussions on the subject to begin early in education and for the spontaneous use of analogies to be contemplated in reflective processes.