Work

Metaphorical conceptualizations of knowledge in Swedish and Finnish primary school curricula

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study analyzes metaphors related to knowledge in the Swedish and Finnish primary school curricula with an aim to find out how knowledge is conceptualized in these texts. Metaphors are analyzed with the so-called PIMS method recently developed by Johansson Falck & Okonski (2022, 2023). In total, 11 different conceptual metaphors involving knowledge, mainly based on image schemas, were identified in both Swedish and Finnish curricula, plus two more in the Swedish curriculum only. The most frequent ones, based on image schemas, are in-out and process . The results show that the conceptualizations of knowledge in the Swedish and Finnish primary school curricula are largely similar, although Swedish and Finnish are unrelated languages. However, there are also differences, which we suggest are due to partly different views on education and knowledge in the two school systems.

Source: Linguistics and Education

DOI: 10.1016/j.linged.2025.101421

Authors: Annika Hillbom, Marja Nenonen, Esa Penttilä

Institutions: Södertörn University, University of Eastern Finland

Language: English

Topic: Language, Metaphor, and Cognition

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,620