Guardian angels and teachers from hell: Using metaphor as a measure of schools' experiences and expectations of General National Vocational Qualifications

Abstract

Abstract.In this paper I examine some claims about the nature of metaphor, its possible significance in illuminating cultural, institutional and personal constructs, and Correspondence to Susan Wallace, Department of Secondary and Tertiary Education, The Nottingham TrentUniversity, Clifton, Nottingham NG11 8NS. email: sue.wallace@ntu.ac.uk 1 About metaphorA mastery of metaphor, according to Aristotle, is a sign of genius, an indication of the ability to see the connectedness of things. In this sense -the making of connections -metaphor can be instrumental in creating new ways of seeing. As Way (1994: 8) points out, when our

Functions of Metaphor in Teaching and Teacher Education: A review essay

“…(Yob, 2003, p. 134) Then, a realistic approach to studying some complex phenomena (e.g., teaching) must start from the premise that there is no single metaphor that can best capture all of the complexities of the phenomenon under investigation. For example, the studies reviewed in this essay as well as those that could not be discussed extensively because of space requirements (such as, Beattie, Sapiano, Shifrin, & Weinstock, 2000;Chen, 2003;Lingbiao & Watkins, 2001;Markgraf & Pavlik, 1998;Marshall, 1990;Massengill, Mahlios, & Barry, 2005;Mayes, 2002;Parsons, Brown, & Worley, 2004;Vadeboncoeur & Torres, 2003;Wallace, 2001) all clearly reveal that there are numerous metaphors for the concept of "teacher", each one providing a different schema for thinking about "teaching as a profession". The main reason for this situation, according to Weade and Ernst (1990, p. 133), is because "Metaphors are selective.…”

Prospective teachers' conceptions of teaching and learning revealed through metaphor analysis

“…The wide range of metaphorical images in our study reveals multiple realities of a ''teacher'' and no single metaphor that can best capture all of the complexities of teaching. An international literature review (e.g., Black & Halliwell, 2000;Chen, 2003;Fenwick, 2000;Hagstrom et al, 2000;Hoban, 2000;Minchew, 2001;Wallace, 2001;Yung, 2001) also reveals numerous metaphors for the teacher, each one based on a different schema. The main reason for this multitude of metaphors is because ''.…”

Nothing changes: perceptions of vocational education in England

“…The policy acknowledgement that the value placed on vocational education is generally low, and the strong association between VET and lower attaining young people reflects rhetoric which is widely used in England and Wales, as well as notions of deficit which have become insidiously embodied in discourse around vocational education internationally. For example, Wallace (2001) provides an early UK critique, whilst Dalley-Trim, Alloway and Walker (2008), and Polesel and Clarke (2011) offer an Australian perspective. It was in this dynamic context that this research was undertaken, and in which the discussion of the outcomes of the study are located.…”