Cook Stephen H, Frances Gordon M
Mental Health Nursing, Middlesex University and Family and Systemic Family Therapist, London, UK.
J Adv Nurs. 2004 Sep;47(6):649-55. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03153.x.
In the Western tradition, drawing attention to the linguistic significance of analogy and metaphor can be traced back to the writings of the early Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle. More recently, philosophers of science have drawn attention to the role of analogy and metaphor in the development of scientific theory. Also, linguists and psychologists now suggest that, in addition to being distinctive uses of language with various rhetorical functions, metaphors constitute fundamental processes of thought with basic epistemological functions.
Drawing on numerous sources from outside the nursing literature, this paper seeks to show the implications of current theory relating to analogy and metaphor for nursing and educational practice. It also seeks to demonstrate, using a practical example, how this theory can be applied to the teaching of qualitative research.
Using reflection on our experiences of using analogy and metaphor in teaching the qualitative research process on a Master's degree programme, we assess the potential for using analogy and metaphor as a teaching strategy. This experience is also used to explore and discuss the wider implications of the use of analogy and metaphor in health and educational practices.
While analogies and metaphors can help students make creative and imaginative links between existing conceptual frameworks and those associated with new knowledge, thereby facilitating its assimilation, the use of analogy and metaphor remains an under-researched area of nursing and educational practice. The cultural specificity of a metaphor does not necessarily prevent its usefulness cross culturally. The use of metaphor and analogy can also facilitate the injection of humour to a subject students frequently find 'dry' and intimidating.
Analogies and metaphors are potentially powerful teaching and learning strategies. However, much is still not known about how they work at the cognitive level. Consequently, there is considerable scope for further research in this area in nurse education and clinical practice.
在西方传统中，对类比和隐喻的语言意义的关注可以追溯到古希腊哲学家柏拉图和亚里士多德的著作。最近，科学哲学家们开始关注类比和隐喻在科学理论发展中的作用。此外，语言学家和心理学家现在认为，隐喻除了是具有各种修辞功能的独特语言用法外，还构成了具有基本认识论功能的思维基本过程。
本文借鉴护理文献之外的众多资料来源，旨在展示当前与类比和隐喻相关的理论对护理和教育实践的启示。它还试图通过一个实际例子说明该理论如何应用于定性研究的教学。
通过反思我们在硕士学位课程的定性研究过程教学中使用类比和隐喻的经验，我们评估了将类比和隐喻用作教学策略的潜力。这一经验还用于探索和讨论在健康和教育实践中使用类比和隐喻的更广泛意义。
虽然类比和隐喻可以帮助学生在现有概念框架与新知识相关的概念框架之间建立创造性和富有想象力的联系，从而促进知识的吸收，但类比和隐喻的使用在护理和教育实践中仍然是一个研究不足的领域。隐喻的文化特殊性不一定会妨碍其在跨文化中的有用性。隐喻和类比的使用还可以促进将幽默注入学生经常认为“枯燥”和令人生畏的学科。
类比和隐喻是潜在的强大教学策略。然而，关于它们在认知层面如何起作用，仍有很多未知之处。因此，在护理教育和临床实践的这一领域还有相当大的进一步研究空间。
