Abstract

This literature review summarizes research contributions to the study of conceptual metaphors in science education. Given the importance of conceptual metaphors as a phenomenon in the development of scientific concepts, it is necessary to understand how they have influenced the field of studies on science learning and teaching. Based on the theory of conceptual metaphor and the relevance of experientialism and the embodied cognition thesis, this paper presents a hermeneutic review of 31 academic sources, mainly published in the last decade, about conceptual metaphors in science and science education. We identify and discuss spaces for advancing a research agenda with practical and teaching potential, with more consideration of the relationships between the human body, the environment, and language in school science learning.