Perception of migration in the metaphors of 6th, 7th and 8th-Grade students in Turkey

Abstract

The concept of migration is a phenomenon which has existed in human life since the beginning of human history. Turkey has received external migration, especially in recent years, due to its geopolitical position. Therefore, the issue of migration is discussed with its many dimensions in the curricula. In this study, an attempt to determine the meanings attributed to the action of migration by secondary school students studying in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades in Turkey through metaphors was made. Since the concept of migration is the phenomenon investigated in the study, the phenomenology design was used in the study. A total of 90 students participated in this study. In the data analysis, descriptive and content analyses were performed, especially based on the reasons for metaphors. At the end of the study, it was determined that 7th and 8th-grade students had fewer misconceptions compared to 6th-grade students and that the meaning they attributed to migration was richer. The reason for this may be that students receive migration-themed education in the 7th grade. Therefore, it may be suggested to cover migration using student-centered methods and techniques in curricula and to discuss it with various dimensions.