Science Meets Metaphor: Teaching and Communicating about Abstract Concepts in Romanian Science Textbooks
Metaphors and analogies are efficient and attractive tools used in science teaching to explain abstract ideas in simpler, familiar terms. Science textbook authors and teachers rely on metaphors and analogies to explain abstract scientific concepts and convey them to young learners. In this paper, w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), College of Communication and Public Relations, Bucharest
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Romanian Journal of Communications and Public Relations |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journalofcommunication.ro/index.php/journalofcommunication/article/view/339 |
| _version_ | 1797383097227935744 |
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| author | Elena Negrea-Busuioc Oana Ștefăniță Gabriela Guiu |
| author_facet | Elena Negrea-Busuioc Oana Ștefăniță Gabriela Guiu |
| author_sort | Elena Negrea-Busuioc |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Metaphors and analogies are efficient and attractive tools used in science teaching to explain abstract ideas in simpler, familiar terms. Science textbook authors and teachers rely on metaphors and analogies to explain abstract scientific concepts and convey them to young learners. In this paper, we discuss a corpus of metaphorical expressions found in Romanian physics and chemistry textbooks for secondary education (grades 6-8), and classified based on target domains (i.e., the core scientific concepts presented in the unit lessons of the analyzed textbooks) and source domains (i.e., the more concrete, more familiar concepts used to explain scientific concepts from the analyzed textbooks). Furthermore, we explore the way in which the identified and annotated metaphors may provide the basis for understanding core concepts from physics (e.g., electricity in terms of ‘water flowing’) and chemistry (e.g., electron shells as ‘field track lanes’). This study is part of a larger research project which aims is to examine how metaphors and analogies used in Romanian science textbooks are understood and misunderstood by young learners and what (mis-) understanding complex scientific ideas might mean for pupils’ preparedness to make sense of the world we live in and, ultimately, for their future engagement with and interest in science.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:14:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe37a722f99843a1a38a10ec19bc45a1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1454-8100 2344-5440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:14:53Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), College of Communication and Public Relations, Bucharest |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Romanian Journal of Communications and Public Relations |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe37a722f99843a1a38a10ec19bc45a12023-12-22T01:01:59ZengNational University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), College of Communication and Public Relations, BucharestRomanian Journal of Communications and Public Relations1454-81002344-54402022-04-0124110.21018/rjcpr.2022.1.339339Science Meets Metaphor: Teaching and Communicating about Abstract Concepts in Romanian Science TextbooksElena Negrea-Busuioc0Oana Ștefăniță1Gabriela Guiu2National University of Political Studies and Public AdministrationNational University of Political Studies and Public AdministrationNational University of Political Studies and Public Administration Metaphors and analogies are efficient and attractive tools used in science teaching to explain abstract ideas in simpler, familiar terms. Science textbook authors and teachers rely on metaphors and analogies to explain abstract scientific concepts and convey them to young learners. In this paper, we discuss a corpus of metaphorical expressions found in Romanian physics and chemistry textbooks for secondary education (grades 6-8), and classified based on target domains (i.e., the core scientific concepts presented in the unit lessons of the analyzed textbooks) and source domains (i.e., the more concrete, more familiar concepts used to explain scientific concepts from the analyzed textbooks). Furthermore, we explore the way in which the identified and annotated metaphors may provide the basis for understanding core concepts from physics (e.g., electricity in terms of ‘water flowing’) and chemistry (e.g., electron shells as ‘field track lanes’). This study is part of a larger research project which aims is to examine how metaphors and analogies used in Romanian science textbooks are understood and misunderstood by young learners and what (mis-) understanding complex scientific ideas might mean for pupils’ preparedness to make sense of the world we live in and, ultimately, for their future engagement with and interest in science. https://journalofcommunication.ro/index.php/journalofcommunication/article/view/339science education and communicationmetaphor and scienceteaching and communicating abstract conceptsRomanian science textbooks |
| spellingShingle | Elena Negrea-Busuioc Oana Ștefăniță Gabriela Guiu Science Meets Metaphor: Teaching and Communicating about Abstract Concepts in Romanian Science Textbooks Romanian Journal of Communications and Public Relations science education and communication metaphor and science teaching and communicating abstract concepts Romanian science textbooks |
| title | Science Meets Metaphor: Teaching and Communicating about Abstract Concepts in Romanian Science Textbooks |
| title_full | Science Meets Metaphor: Teaching and Communicating about Abstract Concepts in Romanian Science Textbooks |
| title_fullStr | Science Meets Metaphor: Teaching and Communicating about Abstract Concepts in Romanian Science Textbooks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Science Meets Metaphor: Teaching and Communicating about Abstract Concepts in Romanian Science Textbooks |
| title_short | Science Meets Metaphor: Teaching and Communicating about Abstract Concepts in Romanian Science Textbooks |
| title_sort | science meets metaphor teaching and communicating about abstract concepts in romanian science textbooks |
| topic | science education and communication metaphor and science teaching and communicating abstract concepts Romanian science textbooks |
| url | https://journalofcommunication.ro/index.php/journalofcommunication/article/view/339 |
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