Abstract

This research was carried out to determine the metaphors of high school students towards “climate” concept according to gender variable. A total of 108 students in two high schools in Karabük City participated in the research in 2009 - 2010 academic years. The data of the research were gathered from the students’ completing the expressions: “climate is like… because…” The analysis and interpretation of the collected data was done using the phenomenologic science design and content analysis technique of qualitative research method. According to the findings of the research, the schoolgirls and boys produced 21 and 26 valid metaphors related to “climate” concept respectively. These metaphors were separated into different conceptual categories of 7 for schoolgirls and 8 for the schoolboys according to their common features. At the end of the research, it was discovered that two concepts were used most frequently, 42.84% of the schoolgirl’s think of “climate” concept as an expression of change and 14.28% as an expression of life. From the schoolboys, two conceptual categories had the most frequency of 44.27% that of “climate” concept as an expression of change and 16.31% as an expression of ambiguity. Schoolboys formed more metaphors and conceptual categories than schoolgirls. This condition may be an indication that schoolboys percieve the “climate” concept as a wide and abstract concept.

Key words: Climate education, metaphor, gender, student, geography education.