Abduction, Dialogue and the Learning Paradox: How Metaphor Choice Affects Teaching in Multicultural Schools

ABSTRACT The learning paradox, an ancient inquiry found in Plato’s Meno, is still widely discussed today. It focuses on the puzzle of how students acquire new understandings out of the knowledge they already possess. Richard Prawat’s concept of abduction, or the use of metaphor by teachers, is a compelling answer, but not all metaphors are equally effective for all students, especially in multicultural schools where students have different cultural backgrounds and understandings. The utilization of a fixed metaphor that only some students comprehend can limit the learning opportunities of others. This article attempts to address this concern through applying Nicholas Burbules’ concept of'dialogue to the abductive process. Dialogue allows greater mutual understanding between learning counterparts despite their differences and opens up possibilities for other relevant metaphors. Consequently, the integration of dialogue in the abductive process assists a more equal acquirement of knowledge and enriches learning more holistically and meaningfully. Keywords: Learning paradox, Abduction, Dialogue, Metaphor, Multicultural schools.