Facilitating Concept Learning Through Analogy Teaching in Physics

Research in concept learning in science reveals that analogy is an effective instructional strategy in facilitating conceptual change within a constructivist paradigm. However in non-Western countries most of the analogies used by researchers and teachers have merely replicated analogical models fashioned for teaching science within Western contexts. This book focuses on enhancing concept learning in science through context-rich analogies. In particular the book explores the effect of a traditional African dance analogy derived from learners'' socio-cultural environment in learning physical heat concepts in Physics education. The results are compared with those of teaching the same concepts using the conventional methods. The set-up of the investigation is within a rural location in Kenya where African traditional dance is a familiar phenomenon to students. The results indicate that analogical teaching led to higher conceptual gains and greater motivation and self-concept compared to conventional methods. The book recommends that teachers should consider learners'' socio-cultural knowledge as the basis for designing analogies in teaching abstract science concepts.