ISSN 1017-2548(Print)
ISSN 2234-8530(Online)
Volume 47, Number 3
JKCSEZ 47(3)
June 20, 2003 

This study investigated the types of analogies that 7th graders generated to explain three states of matter, the difference of analogies by achievement level, and the misconceptions that might be induced from the analogies. The results revealed that many students made the enriched and storytelling analogies with concrete materials or events from their everyday experiences. However, they made analogies without considering causal relationship such as the change of particular arrangement based on latent heat or molecular movement. The students of high achievement level considered the arrangement and the movement of molecules and made the enriched and storytelling analogies more than the students of low achievement level. The students made the analogies that might induce misconceptions such that the molecules don't move in solid state or the particles could be changed according to the states.