A Conctruction for the Transmission of Growth: On Metaphors in Education

Abstract

Metaphors are ubiquitous in education. In this paper an attempt is made to explore two questions that are thus pertinent: Why – and is this an unhappy state of affairs? Using the interaction-view of metaphor as analytical frame (Black 1954/55), a possible mechanism behind metaphor-generation in education is identified. According to the interaction view, metaphors function by a mechanism of inclusion/exclusion, i.e. by admitting certain associations whilst rejecting others. This mechanism, the paper argues, is vital in accounting for the prevalence of metaphor within the educational field. Three educational metaphors are then analyzed: construction, transmission, and growth, and an attempt is thereby made not only to demonstrate said mechanism, but also to consider some of the consequences that follow. Especially one result of the paper is notable: From the vantage point of the interaction view, conceptual formation in education presents itself in a new light.