ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS “SOIL, SOIL POLLUTION” CONCEPTS WITH METAPHORS

The aim of this research is to reveal the perceptions of university students about the concepts of “soil and soil pollution” with the help of metaphors. The study group consists of 258 students studying in the Faculties of Education of Hacettepe and Gazi universities during the spring 2014-2015 period. The questionnaire consisted of two semi-structured open-ended questions. In this study, qualitative research methods were used to reveal the perceptions of individuals about a case and the meanings that they impose. Research findings were evaluated in different conceptual categories regarding the research questions and the results were interpreted. Based on these conceptual categories, it can be said that university students have a high awareness of environmental problems. The results obtained from the research are expected to make significant contributions to the field in understanding the perceptions of the concepts of “soil and soil pollution”. In addition, metaphors produced as a result of research can be used as an important research tool in explaining the concepts of “soil and soil pollution”