The provocative analogy as pedagogical strategy: the historical case of fluid mechanics

Abstract

The aim of this article is to study the analogical reasoning in the historical genesis of fluid mechanics in order to develop efficient pedagogical strategies in this area. The foundational texts of the Bernoullis offer interesting examples for classroom because the identified analogies play an essential role in creativity. These get over the minimum definition of expedient character provi¬ding explanatory content to theoretical modelling. Since the classical cognitive science has reduced its research to the expedient role, studies on literal analogies or on the refinement of analogies will be discussed in which analogy adopts different roles in relation to the construction of the model. Thus, we will see that analogy may activate new mental schemas in the conception of a historical problem in the mind of an expert and, consequently, lay down a strategy to teach following this reasoning.