Creating chapter one

Wooohooo! To help me construct my chapter one, lemme answer the following questions. I find it funny as I am answering these questions because I'm not sure if I'm trying to convince myself or tell the truth. Oh well, tried my very best to answer them, though. *wink*

Problem (conceptual): How were metaphors used to represent scientific concepts in fictional narratives in children's storybooks with medical themes?

How science concepts are represented in metaphors in stories in children’s picture books with medical themes? (to give insight to how it can be used to promote scientific literacy among child learners)

 Problem (operational) [or simplified, as I would like to put it]: How were analogies used in the stories in the Tito Dok Series?

 Analogies = metaphors used to represent scientific concepts

Stories = fictional narratives

Tito Dok Series = children's storybooks with medical themes

1.      Why is there a need to study your identified research topic? 

In my preliminary library research, I found richness in studies about children's literature, children's literature in education, & the use of narratives or science stories in the classroom to help in the development of scientific literacy. On the other hand, there is obviously a gap in research regarding children's books with science topics specifically in the Philippines. (I found one study by Aquino, n.d., Addressing the Thinking Mind: A Constructivist Approach to Informational Stories for Children. It tried to describe the meaning-making process by which children learn from informational storybooks.) My study may provide insight on using analogies in stories to promote science literacy (popularize science) in the Philippines --especially in health.

2.      Is your research a “communication” research?
 

Yes, (definitely). It is a communication research because it deals with language –the translation of technical to common language through the use of analogies/metaphors in stories. The semiotic triad is also very evident. In this study, the object will be the scientific concept; the representatem, the metaphor used to represent the scientific concept; and the interpretatem, the meaning of the relationship of the scientific concept and the metaphor.

3.      Is your research a “devcom” research?

Yes.  This study encompasses science literacy and popularization which are under education and science communication.

4.       Suppose that I am one of your classmates and I am interested about your chosen research topic. Please discuss your research to me in a clear, simple, and straightforward manner so that I can understand what you want to do in your study. (In other words: What is your problem really, and how do you proceed?)

My problem is that I want to know what how analogies were used to popularize a science concept. Since children are the main readers of children’s storybooks, the narratives or the stories that are published use a language that is common or familiar. To identify what analogies/metaphors are used, I will use content analysis. Then, to discover how these analogies/metaphors are used, I need to dissect and analyze the story(s) using narrative analysis.

5.      What are your concepts and/or variables (a.k.a. observable indicators) in this study?

Hmmm. I think I will have to look for words or phrases or sentences in the story(s) that were used as metaphor or analogy to describe a certain a scientific phenomenon or scientific concept.

6.       So, after answering your problem, what good can it offer to humanity? (In other words: So what?)

After I identify the words or phrases or sentences in the story(s) that were used as metaphor and after discovering how these metaphors were used, I would have then proved/disproved the following: (a) the metaphors contribute to the development of literacy of the nature of science; (b) the metaphors create misleading information due to translation.

In line with the first mentioned assumption, I would like to advocate for the use of metaphors in stories to popularize science concepts (specifically health/medicine/human body) in learning systems (e.g. classroom) and/or non-conventional learning techniques (e.g. kariton klasrum), as the narrative (or story) has the “rhetorical power” to persuade (Mattingly, 1998). Specifically, children’s books may be used to promote health concepts and practices. On the other hand, the critical approach will be used alongside the second assumption. A criteria for evaluation is expected to be created.

Wooohoooo!

time for some Kitkat...it's 3 am.