Abstract
Scientists' attempts to understand plant functions by ascribing animal functions to plants – the ‘analogist’ tradition, derived from Aristotle – began to be superseded in Europe by an ‘experimentalist’ tradition in the seventeenth century. In classrooms today, science students learning about plant functions (exemplified here by the topic of transpiration) face a parallel dilemma: the pitching of their own habitual mental processes of analogy building (enhanced by the suggestive morphology of plants)and the persuasiveness of everyday language (for example, about plants and water)against the new experimental evidence presented by the teacher. In the case oftranspiration, six practical suggestions whereby teachers can support students in thisstruggle to put their thoughts (especially everyday mental models) in accordance withthings (classroom experimental evidence) are advanced. The wider implications forhow we teach about ‘Living Things’, and how we view the status of analogies in sciencegenerally, are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersson, B.: 1990, ‘Pupils' Conceptions of Matter and Its Transformation (age 12—16)’, Studies in Science Education 18, 53-58.
Atkinson, P. & Delamont, S.: 1977, ‘Mockups and Cockups: The Stage Management of Guided Discovery Instruction’, in P. Woods & M. Hammersley (eds.), School Experience: Explorations in the Sociology of Education, Croom Helm, London, pp. 87-108.
Bacon, Francis: 1620, Novum Organum, Encyclopedia Britannica, Chicago (1955).
Barker, M.: 1986, ‘Plants and Water’, Working Paper No. 221, Teaching and Learning about Photosynthesis, Centre for Science and Mathematics Education Research, University of Waikato, Hamilton, N.Z., pp. 1-15.
Barker, M.: 1998, ‘Understanding Transpiration—More than Meets the Eye’, Journal of Biological Education 33(1), 17-20.
Bell, B.: 1985, ‘Student Ideas about Plant Nutrition: What are They?’, Journal of Biological Education 19(3), 213-218.
Brown, D.E.: 1994, ‘Facilitating Conceptual Change Using Analogies and Explanatory Models’, International Journal of Science Education 16(2), 201-214.
Burke, J.: 1985, The Day the Universe Changed, Little, Brown and Company, Boston.
Bynum, W.F., Browne, E.J. & Porter, Ray: 1981, Dictionary of the History of Science, MacMillan, London.
Clement, J., Brown, D.E. & Zietsman, A.: 1989, ‘Not all Preconceptions are Misconceptions: Finding “Anchoring Conceptions” for Grounding Instruction on Students' Intuitions’, International Journal of Science Education 11, 554-565.
Cohen, I.B.: 1952, Preface to Opticks or a Treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light by Isaac Newton (1704), Dover Publications, New York.
Cohen, S.M.: 1996, Aristotle on Nature and Incomplete Substance, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Delaporte, F.: 1982, Nature's Second Kingdom—Explorations of Vegetality in the Eighteenth Century, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Diut, R.: 1991, ‘On the Role of Analogies and Metaphors in Science Learning’, Science Education 75, 649-672.
Eisen, Y. & Stavy, R.: 1988, ‘Students' Understandings of Photosynthesis’, The American Biology Teacher 50(4), 208-212.
Fisher, K.M.: 1996, Knowledge Acquisition, Organisation, and Use in Biology, Springer, Berlin.
French, R.:1994, Ancient Natural History, Routledge, New York.
Gentner, D.: 1982, ‘Are Scientific Analogies Metaphors?’, in D.S. Miall (ed.), Metaphor—Problems and Perspectives, Essex, Harvester Press, pp. 106-132.
Guerlac, H.: 1951, ‘The Continental Reputation of Stephen Hales’, Archives Internationales d'Histoire 4, 393-404.
Hales, Stephen: 1727, Vegetable Staticks, Oldbourne, London (1961).
Harre, R.: 1981, Great Scientific Experiments, Phaidon, Oxford.
Haslam, F. & Treagust, D.F.: 1987, ‘Diagnosing Secondary Students' Misconceptions of Photosynthesis and Respiration in Plants Using a Two-tier Multiple Choice Instrument’, Journal of Biological Education 21(3), 203-211.
Holton, G.:1967, ‘Science and New Styles of Thought’, The Graduate Journal, The University of Texas 7, 399-422.
Holton, G.: 1993, Science and Anti-science, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Kuhn, T.S.: 1979, ‘Metaphor in Science’, in A. Ortony (ed.), Metaphor and Thought, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 409-419.
Lakoff, G. & Johnson, M.: 1980, Metaphors We Live By, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Lazarowitz, R. & Pensio, S.: 1992, ‘High School Students' Difficulties in Learning Biological Concepts’, Journal of Biological Education 26(3), 215-223.
Lister, M.: 1673, ‘A Further Account Concerning the Existence of Veins in All Kinds of Plants’, Philosophical Transactions 90, 5132-5137.
MacCurdy, E.: 1956, The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, Jonathon Cape, London.
Major, Johann Daniel: 1665, Dissertatio Botanica de Planta Monstrosa Gottorpiensi Mensis Junii, Ani MDCLXV, Johann Carstens, Schleswig.
Nott, M. & Smith, R. 1995, ‘“Talking Your Way out of it”, “Rigging” and “Conjuring”: What Science Teachers do when Practicals “Go Wrong”, International Journal of Science Education 17(3), 399-410.
Nussbaum, J.: 1983, ‘Classroom Conceptual Change: The Lesson to be Learn from the History of Science’, in H. Helm & J. D. Novak (eds.), Misconceptions in Science and Mathematics, Department of Education, Cornell University, pp. 271-281.
Nussbaum, J.: 1989, ‘Classroom Conceptual Change: Philosophical Perspectives’, International Journal of Science Education 11(5), 530-540.
Ogborn, J., Kress, G., Martins, I. & McGillicuddy, K.: 1996, Science in the Classroom, Open University Press, Buckingham.
Orbell, M.: 1985, The Natural World of the Maori, Auckland, William Collins.
Osborne, J.: 1993, ‘Beyond Constructivism’, Science Education 80(1), 53-82.
Pfundt, Helga & Duit, Reinders: 1994, Students' Alternative Frameworks and Science Education (4th ed.), Kiel, Institute for Science Education.
Putman, H.: 1994, Words and Life, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Russell, B.:1959, Wisdom of the West, Macdonald and Co., London.
Sachs, J. von: 1890, History of Botany 1530—1860, Russell and Russell, New York.
Salisbury, F.B. & Ross, C.W.:1992, Plant Physiology (4th edition), Wadsworth, Belmont.
Singer, C.: 1959, A History of Biology, Abelard-Schuman, London.
Solomon, E.P., Berg, L.R., Martin, D.W. & Villee, C: 1993, Biology (3rd edition), Harcourt Brace and Company, Orlando.
Sutton, C.: 1992, Words, Science and Learning, Open University Press, Buckingham.
Theophrastus: Enquiry into Plants, in E.H. Warmington (ed.), Theophrastus (1968) with an English translation by Sir Arthur Hort, Loeb Classical Library, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Toulmin, S. & Goodfield, J.: 1962, The Architecture of Matter, Hutchinson, London.
Treagust, D.F.: 1993, ‘The Evolution of an Approach for Using Analogies in Teaching and Learning Science’, Research in Science Education 23, 293-301.
Treagust, D.F., Harrison, A.G. & Venville, G.J.: 1996, ‘Using an Analogical Teaching Approach to Engender Conceptual Change’, International Journal of Science Education 18(2), 213-219.
Waheed, T. & Lucas, A.M.: 1992, ‘Understanding Interrelated Topics: Photosynthesis at Age 14+’, Journal of Biological Education 26(3), 193-199.
Weller, C.M.: 1970, ‘The Role of Analogy in Teaching Science’, Journal of Research in Science Teaching 7, 113-119.
Wellington, J.J.: 1981, ‘“What's Supposed to Happen, Sir? ” Some Problems with Discovery Learning’, School Science Review 63(222), 167-173.
Wood-Robinson, C.: 1991, ‘Young People's Ideas About Plants’, Studies in Science Education 19, 119-135.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barker, M. Putting Thought in Accordance with Things: The Demise of Animal-Based Analogies for Plant Functions. Science & Education 11, 293–304 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015202609530
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015202609530