Nonmath analogies in teaching mathematics

AbstractWay too often, students find some concepts too abstract to comprehend. One of the strategies used to assist students with building conceptual knowledge is to use analogies. We investigate the place of nonmath analogies in teaching school mathematics. First, we demonstrate the widespread use of analogies by drawing examples through context analysis of tutoring websites, textbooks, and teaching experiences. Second, we argue that analogies reflect the grounded nature of mathematical concepts in common life experiences and, thus, have an essential place in instruction. To support our argument we offer a theoretical rationale based on research literature and historical sources