Engineering Students' Use of Analogies and Metaphors: Implications for Educators

Circuit concepts are abstract in nature and have been proven to be difficult for students to understand. Instructors often rely on the use of analogies and metaphors to help students associate what is being taught with their prior knowledge or experiences. This study was guided by the following research questions: (1) What types of analogies and metaphors do students use to explain basic circuit concepts? and (2) What characteristics of constructive analogies are most common in electrical engineering students' discussion of circuit concepts? A think aloud protocol consisting of conceptual questions about circuits was used to interview nine participants who were juniors or seniors majoring in electrical engineering at a selective public university in the Western United States. The protocol was initially developed to assess students' misconceptions about introductory circuit concepts. However, a second round of analysis indicated students spontaneously used analogies and metaphors in their discussion of these concepts. The students' use of analogies and metaphors also highlighted lingering common misconceptions about the nature of current and the faulty interchangeability of voltage and current. Additionally, the most common characteristic of analogies used by the students was the basic surface comparison of features between the base and target concept. These findings support the use of the teaching with analogies (TWA) model and can inform instructional strategies used in circuit courses where students are exposed to the concept for the first time. This work also highlights implications for current and future instructors of introductory circuit concepts.