The Importance of Explicitly Mapping Instructional Analogies in Science Education.

Abstract

The Importance of Explicitly Mapping Instructional Analogies in Science Education by Loretta Asay Dr. LeAnn Putney, Examination Committee Co-Chair Chair, Department of Educational Psychology and Higher Education University of Nevada, Las Vegas Dr. Ralph E. Reynolds, Examination Committee Co-Chair Director, School of Education Iowa State University Analogies are ubiquitous during instruction in science classrooms, yet research about the effectiveness of using analogies has produced mixed results. An aspect seldom studied is a model of instruction when using analogies. The few existing models for instruction with analogies have not often been examined quantitatively. The Teaching With Analogies (TWA) model (Glynn, 1991) is one of the models frequently cited in the variety of research about analogies. The TWA model outlines steps for instruction, including the step of explicitly mapping the features of the source to the target. An experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of explicitly mapping the features of the source and target in an analogy during computer-based instruction about electrical circuits. Explicit mapping was compared to no mapping and to a control with