THE COMMON METAPHORICAL PERCEPTIONS OF PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS AS TO DNA-GENE-CHROMOSOME CONCEPTS

Abstract

This research was performed to determine the Common Metaphorical Perceptions of Prospective Teachers on DNA-Gene-Chromosome Concepts, despite classroom levels and university differences. For the baseline group studies, two State Universities, one from the east and the other from the north of Turkey, were selected to be studied in the Fall Semester of 2017-2018. They were respectively called University A” and “B”. The population sample contained a total of 326 students from 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th- classroom level of the “Science Education Department” of “Education Faculties.” The phenomenology design which is one of the qualitative research methods was applied. Answers to questions regarding “the metaphors of DNA-Gene-Chromosome concepts” and “under what theoretical categories the common features and metaphors were investigated” to be in line with the university differences. The research data were obtained by ‘metaphor identification’ for respective concepts and content examination studies in the framework of “Qualitative Analysis Methods.” Correspondingly, it has been determined that Prospective Teachers have common metaphors concerning DNA-Gene-Chromosome concepts, regardless of their class or university differences. Keywords: prospective teachers, metaphorical image for DNA-gene-chromosome, phenomenological research, content analysis