Metaphor in Teaching

Metaphor in teaching
In a review essay titled “Thinking constructively with metaphors” Yob (2003)
reviews the work of Thayer-Bacon (2000), who provides us with a stimulating
example of the way these types of assumptions are at work in the process of
teaching. In this work Thayer-Bacon compares two different metaphorical approaches
to teaching and learning. She applies the metaphor of a “quilting
bee” to the realm of teaching and learning. In this metaphor she draws heavily
on constructivism, critical thinking and a collection of feminist, womanist and
Third World thought (Yob, 2003:129). The quilt that emerges from the combined
activity of quilters is the accumulated and shared experience of a group
of thinkers. A quilting bee is a place of action. The metaphor conjures up a
number of associated commonplaces, as Black (1962) would say. Knowing is
a social enterprise, human beings are contextually embodied and they come
to know through their embedded bodies and minds (Yob, 2003:130). This
means the reason or mind is not the sole maker of knowledge, but that practical
hands-on experience, emotion and intuition also play a role. She contrasts
this with the symbol of an alternative prevailing viewpoint, Rodin’s
sculpture The Thinker. She says:

Here is a white male, solitary, detached, passive, representing the ideal
knower, scholar or “man of letters”. When these contrary grounding metaphors
are applied to classroom approaches, very different scenarios
emerge. The Thinker predisposes one to imagine a classroom of quiet
order, silent work, minds focused on abstractions, pupils sitting at desks
with open books. The quilting bee conjures up a classroom full of talk,
movement, manipulatives, experimentation, group projects, maybe some
laughing, certainly some interaction with learning materials and each
other … (Yob, 2003:130-131).

Obviously both these metaphors have limitations, but they also convey two
different views of teaching and learning. The latter method emphasizes action
and interaction whereas the former method emphasizes the more objective,
distanced and abstract relationship of the learner to the object of study. The
curriculum to some extent also dictates the type of teaching required to accomplish
its educational goals. In both these examples metaphors play a
significant role and convey some understanding of the meaning of the “world”
being portrayed.

Botha, E. (2009). Why metaphor matters in education. South African Journal of Education, 29(4), 431-444.