Introduction.

One commonly used teaching tool is comparing two situations that share a similar relational structure. This tool is known as analogical reasoning and has been extensively studied, although the knowledge about it has not been systematized.

Objective.

To conduct a review of empirical articles that pertain to teaching through analogies and specifically investigate their effectiveness.

Method.

A systematic bibliographic review was conducted using the PRISMA-NMA method. The databases used were Dialnet, DOAJ, Pubmed, and ScienceDirect, with the search terms analogical reasoning + teaching and analogical thinking + teaching entered in both Spanish and English. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, resulting in 19 articles containing a total of 24 sample elements.

Results.

The studies were found to more frequently refer to higher education and the exact sciences. The primary use of analogies was to teach a novel concept. Researchers primarily provided the analogies used, with the analogs and their points of comparison being explicitly stated.

Discussion.

The majority of study results were positive, suggesting that analogies are a useful teaching resource. It is noteworthy that, contrary to what specialists suggest, the origin of the analogs and the degree of explicitness of the analogy do not seem to affect its effectiveness. Other less studied uses of analogies and their use in other educational levels and disciplinary areas are found to be areas of vacancy.