African Educational Research Journal - Vol. 11(4) - Elementary School Students' Metaphor Perceptions of Foreign Students

Oct 15, 2026

This qualitative phenomenology study investigates how Turkish elementary school students with foreign students in their classrooms perceive foreign students through metaphors. Criterion sampling selected 84 primary school students. Data were collected using a two-sentence prompt, and content analysis produced 39 metaphors, classified as positive or negative. Positive metaphors fell into six categories, while no negative metaphors were identified, indicating predominantly positive perceptions and supporting value-sensitive education practices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

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Pages7

Reading Time18 min

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African Educational Research Journal Vol. 11(4), pp. 634-640, November 2023 DOI: 10. 30918/AERJ.114.23.100 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Elementary school students' metaphor perceptions of foreign students Aybala Çayır1* and Emine Balcı2 1Aksaray University, Aksaray, Turkey. 2Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Alanya, Turkey. Accepted 10 November, 2023 | ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this study is to analyze the metaphor perceptions of Turkish students who have foreign students in their classrooms about foreign students. In the study, phenomenology design was used as the qualitative research method. Criterion sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was used to determine the study group. In the selection of the participants in this study, the main criterion was the presence of Turkish students with foreign students in their classrooms. According to this criterion, a total of 84 primary school students constituted the study group. As a data collection tool, two sentences were used as the data collection tool: "In my opinion, foreign students are like .... Because ..." form consisting of two sentences was created. Content analysis technique was used to analyze the data. According to the findings obtained from the analysis of the collected data, a total of 39 metaphors were produced in the study group. These metaphors were categorized as positive and negative. While the positive metaphors of the students were divided into 6, that is, categories diversity, kind-heartedness, equality, industriousness, beauty and protectiveness, no negative metaphors were found. It can be concluded that Turkish students who have foreign students in their class have positive perceptions towards their foreign friends. In order to enrich and reinforce positive perceptions, value-sensitive education plan practices are recommended.
Keywords: Foreign students, metaphor, perception, primary school. | | --- | | **Corresponding author. E-mail: aybalacayir@gmai[l. com](l. com) . | INTRODUCTION The term metaphor originally came from the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. It can also be called a pedagogy term used in different fields. Today, although the term is known in the fields of literature, art, etc. , it is used as a tool in disciplines such as psychology, pedagogy and sociology (Demir and Yıldırım, 2019) . Metaphor has found their equivalent in our language as"metaphor" . In addition to being seen as a kind of analogy, they are the shapes, visuals and symbols created in the mind by a concept that is intended to be said. It is a kind of imagination-triggering tool and the desire to be together with modern knowledge (Alptekin and Kaptan, 2018; Usta, 2016) . The term metaphor, which has a long history in the language of Western countries, was included in Turkish at the end of the last century and started to be used in different fields (Demirand Yıldırım, 2019) . Many phenomena and concepts that are difficult to express can be conveyed simply through metaphors. With metaphors as a tool, it is easier to see individuals' perspectives on life (Alptekin and Kaplan, 2018) . It is known that there are many methods to reveal perceptions. Metaphor as a perception tool is used as an important method in determining perceptions. It enableseven familiar terms to be expressed more clearly (Gözler, 2018) . Perception is defined in TDK as"Becoming conscious of something by directing attention to it, perception." Many methods can be used to measure Turkish students' perceptions of foreign students. One of them is "metaphors" . The concept of metaphor has started to be frequently used in education after the 2000s. The importance of metaphors in education is applied in educational administration, curriculum development and planning, teaching, promoting learning and developing creative thinking skills (Arslan, 2006) .Şeyihoğlu and Gencer (2011) emphasize that metaphors, apart from their use in daily life, have been used

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the study?

The study analyzes Turkish students’ metaphor perceptions of foreign students in their classrooms.

How were participants selected and how many were included?

Criterion sampling was used, resulting in a study group of 84 primary school students.

What did the metaphor findings show about students’ perceptions?

A total of 39 metaphors were produced and categorized as positive and negative; positive metaphors were found in six categories, and no negative metaphors were identified.

Oct 15, 2026

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