Preliminary communication

A Look at a Small Classroom in a Big University: Through a Metaphor, Vividly

Larisa Nikitina ; Institute of Graduate Studies, University of Malaya
Fumitaka Furuoka ; Asia-Europe Institute, University of Malaya

Abstract

In educational research literature there are two influential metaphors about learning. They describe this process as either “acquisition” or “participation” (Sfard, 1998). These metaphors have been widely used by scholars, researchers and educators. However, the students’ perspectives on learning have been underexplored. This article addresses this gap in research literature and examines metaphors about learning created by a group of foreign language learners in a big public university in East Malaysia. The findings indicate universality of people’s perceptions about learning and reveal the presence of both the “acquisition” and “participation” metaphors in the students’ images. The study considers the implications of the findings for language pedagogy.

Keywords

educational metaphors; foreign language education; student-produced metaphors

Hrčak ID:

120168

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/120168

Publication date:

26.3.2014.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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