An Analysis of Features in Self Generated Analogies during Phaseal Teaching Learning Process about Mixture Using Analogy for Lower Elementary School Students

Analogical reasoning is a central component of human cognition and contributes to scientific discovery and to develop science education. In this study, we investigated the process features of lower elementary school students' analogical reasoning to explain mixture concept. The subjects are 24 lower elementary students. And the research design includes three phases instruction to investigate the features of students' self generated analogy. Phase 1 is the introduction of analogy in which student learn to use analogy. Phase 2 is a POE class about mixture conception. Piaget and Inhelder studied the conception of mixing among children in relation to cognitive development. In phase 2, we taught the student with Piaget and Inhelder's the experiment and observed the features of learning process about mixture conception. Phase 3 is students' generation of analogy (self generated analogy) for the experienced phenomena in phase 2. We analyzed the students' responses through the three phases in the view of Gentner's Structure Mapping Theory. The results showed that many lower elementary school students even before formal operation stage understood the mixture conception and made well their self generated analogy to explain the mixture conception in spite of the difficulty of making self generated analogy.