The way Technology Teachers Think: The Role of Metaphor and Reflection for Technology Education practice

Abstract

This study investigates how technology teachers reflect on their practice by examining the metaphorical structures that underpin their reasoning. Drawing on Conceptual Metaphor Theory and supported by an AI-assisted Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP), the analysis focuses on recurring metaphorical themes that shape how teachers make sense of challenges, plan instruction, and imagine future classroom scenarios. The results reveal a set of interrelated themes—such as time as a resource, learning as motion, teaching as burden, and structure as cohesion—that reflect and reinforce a view of teaching as a managed and goal-oriented activity. These metaphors are not merely descriptive devices; they function as cognitive tools that organise experience and support pedagogical decision-making. By framing teaching through metaphors of motion, containment, construction, and effort, teachers can navigate complex classroom dynamics and articulate a coherent sense of professional agency. The findings suggest that metaphor plays a dual role in reflection: both representing experience and guiding prospective reasoning. In this sense, metaphors support what is often described as reflection-for-action, where familiar conceptual frames are used to simulate possible futures. By surfacing these metaphorical patterns, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how teachers conceptualise their work and offers a foundation for professional dialogue and development in technology education.