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Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy
Published in: Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy 6/2011

01-08-2011 | Teaching Anatomy

Discovering the “anatomy” in students’ mind through metaphors

Authors: Mustafa Aktekin, Nafiye Çiğdem Aktekin

Published in: Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy | Issue 6/2011

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to obtain clues about the beliefs of medical students on learning anatomy through metaphor analysis which has not been used in this field before.

Methods

A questionnaire was given to 174 medical students. Students were asked to complete the statement with a metaphor and to provide an explanation for it. All metaphors were grouped under 8 categories.

Results

The most frequently produced metaphors were collected in two categories, namely “being lost/unknown situation” and “hopeless struggle.” These were the positions in which students feel themselves desperate, confused and lost (25%) or they consider their efforts to learn anatomy as an activity that is waste of time, ineffectual, and hopeless (24%). Only three out of eight categories (26%) had positive connotation.

Conclusions

Metaphors acquired here reflect distress in anatomy learning. These results would direct the educators to revise educational methods and instruments to provide more efficient anatomy education.
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Metadata
Title
Discovering the “anatomy” in students’ mind through metaphors
Authors
Mustafa Aktekin
Nafiye Çiğdem Aktekin
Publication date
01-08-2011
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy / Issue 6/2011
Print ISSN: 0930-1038
Electronic ISSN: 1279-8517
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-011-0790-1

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