Metaphorical Perceptions and Opinions of Teacher Candidates Regarding The Research Methods in Education Course

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to determine the perceptions of the Faculty of Education teacher candidates about the Research Methods in Education course with the help of metaphors. The phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research designs, was used in the study. The study group, in which the data were collected with open-ended forms, consists of 116 3rd and 4th grade students who took the Research Methods in Education course in Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Faculty of Education in the Fall semester of 2022-2023. The collected data were analyzed with content analysis management and it was determined that the students produced 50 valid metaphors. Among the metaphors produced, the ones with the highest frequency were determined as puzzle, ladder, book, Mathematics, computer, matryoshka metaphors. No negative metaphor was determined. According to the results of the content analysis of the data on the opinions of the students about where they can use the information skills they learned in the research methods in education course, it was seen that the majority of the students responded that they can use in academic studies, while doing master's and doctorate, while writing a book and doing research. It was seen that the students' views on using what they learned in the lesson were similar to the aim of the lesson, and it was done in accordance with the purpose of the lesson. The students suggested that the course duration should be either shortened or the number of course hours should be increased.