Preschool Children’s Metaphoric Perceptions of Digital Games: A Comparison between Regions

Abstract

Preschoolers now play digital games on touch screens, e-toys and electronic learning systems. Although digital games have an important place in children’s lives, there needs to be more information about the meanings they attach to games. In this context, the research aims to determine the perceptions of preschool children studying in different regions of Turkey regarding digital games with the help of metaphors. Four hundred twenty-one preschool children studying in seven regions of Turkey participated in the research. The data were collected through the “Digital Game Metaphor Form” to determine children’s perceptions of digital games and through “Drawing and Visualization”, which comprises the symbolic pictures children draw of their feelings and thoughts. Phenomenology, a qualitative research model, was used in this study. The data were analyzed using the content analysis method. When the data were evaluated, the children had produced 421 metaphors collected in the following seven categories: “Nature Images, Technology Images, Fantasy/Supernatural Images, Education Images, Affective/Motivational Images, Struggle Images, and Value Images”. When evaluated based on regions, the Black Sea Region ranked first in the “Fantasy/Supernatural Images and Affective/Motivational Images” categories. In contrast, the Central Anatolia Region ranked first in the “Technology Images and Education Images” categories, and the Marmara Region ranked first in the “Nature Images and Value Images” categories. In addition, it was determined that the Southeast Anatolia Region ranks first in the “Struggle Images” category.