Educational Alternatives, Volume 16, 2018

Abstract: This study was conducted to reveal the metaphors that high school students have about the concept of “forest”. 40 students (16 girls 24 boys) studying in the 10th grade of Ladik Ahmet Hüdai Anatolian Imam Hatip (religious vocational) High School (Konya) attended the study. The data of the study were collected by qualitative research method and designed on the phenomenology pattern. The obtained data were subjected to content analysis. In order to determine the perceptions of the students about the concept of forest, a semi-structured form is prepared and students are asked to complete the sentence in the form as "Forest is like a ... because ...". Thus, in the survey, it was researched which metaphors the high school students use to explain their mental perceptions about the concept of forest and what the common characteristics of these metaphors are. According to the findings of the research, students produced 45 valid metaphors. These metaphors were coded according to their common characteristics and 8 different conceptual categories were created. The most important of these categories are gathered under titles such as "forest as a place and protection ", "forest as a source of sensitivity" and "forest as a living area". At the end of the research; when the metaphors that high school students produce about the concept of forest are examined, it is seen that the perceptions of them are rich and different. As a result, it can be said that the metaphor is a valid method for determining the perceptions of different participants about the concept of forest.