Science Teachers’ use of Analogies in Secondary School Classrooms in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

Analogies are useful tools for teaching difficult scientific concepts and clearing up learners’ misconceptions. However, if not properly used, they can lead to further misconceptions. More importantly, little is known about how science teachers use analogies in Nigerian classrooms. This study assessed science teachers’ use of analogies by identifying their common practices in secondary school classrooms in Ilorin, Nigeria. The sample comprised 80 science teachers obtained across 34 secondary schools using the convenience sampling technique. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used for gathering data. Frequency, percentages, and mean were used to describe the responses, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the null hypothesis at a 5% level of significance. The findings revealed that the science teachers were intentional with their use of analogies – they plan an analogy before use and explain its limitation, but mostly use analogies in the body of their lessons. There was no significant difference between science teachers’ use of analogy based on their teaching experience. The study concluded that analogy use is not considered a science teacher’s primary instructional strategy, but rather one that can be used to supplement the conventional methods of teaching. It was recommended that secondary school science teachers consider using more analogies in the introductory and concluding stage of their lessons.