Sfard (1998) ER

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On Two Metaphors for Learning and the Dangers of Choosing Just One

The article On Two Metaphors for Learning and the Dangers of Choosing Just One was written by Anna Sfard and published in Educational Researcher in 1998. The article is available from SAGE Publications at http://edr.sagepub.com/content/27/2/4.

Abstract

This article is a sequel to the conversation on learning initiated by the editors of Educational Researcher in volume 25, number 4. The author’s first aim is to elicit the metaphors for learning that guide our work as learners, teachers, and researchers. Two such metaphors are identified: the acquisition metaphor and the participation metaphor. Subsequently, their entailments are discussed and evaluated. Although some of the implications are deemed desirable and others are regarded as harmful, the article neither speaks against a particular metaphor nor tries to make a case for the other. Rather, these interpretations and applications of the metaphors undergo critical evaluation. In the end, the question of theoretical unification of the research on learning is addressed, wherein the purpose is to show how too great a devotion to one particular metaphor can lead to theoretical distortions and to undesirable practices.

Outline of Headings

  • Acquisition Metaphor Versus Participation Metaphor
    • Acquisition Metaphor
    • Participation Metaphor
  • What Can Go Wrong With AM, and How PM Can Help
    • Foundational Dilemmas
    • The Question of Norms and Values
  • Why Do We Need AM After All?
    • Research Issues: The Question of Transfer
    • Pedagogical Issues: The Worry About Subject Matter
  • Conclusion: One Metaphor Is Not Enough
    • Why Do We Need More Than One Metaphor
    • Living With Contradictions

Also

APA

Sfard, A. (1998). On two metaphors for learning and the dangers of choosing just one. Educational Researcher, 27(2), 4–13. doi:10.3102/0013189X027002004

BibTeX

@article{Sfard1998,
author = {Sfard, Anna},
doi = {10.3102/0013189X027002004},
journal = {Educational Researcher},
number = {2},
pages = {4--13},
title = {{On two metaphors for learning and the dangers of choosing just one}},
url = {http://edr.sagepub.com/content/27/2/4.short},
volume = {27},
year = {1998}
}