Educational Research and Reviews

  • Abbreviation: Educ. Res. Rev.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1990-3839
  • DOI: 10.5897/ERR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 2008

Full Length Research Paper

An examination of pre-service history teachers’ metaphors regarding the concept of “freedom”

Aydin GUVEN
  • Aydin GUVEN
  • Ataturk University, Kazim Karabekir Education Faculty, Erzurum, Turkey
  • Google Scholar


  •  Received: 06 March 2015
  •  Accepted: 21 April 2015
  •  Published: 23 April 2015

Abstract

The purpose of this research study is to examine the metaphors generated by pre-service history teachers regarding the concept of freedom. Qualitative method is used in the research study and phenomenology is utilized as a research design.  Semi-structured forms are used as a data collection tool in the study. Each pre-service history teacher is asked to complete the sentence in the forms beginning as “Freedom is like/ freedom is compared to …… because ……..” in order to examine their metaphors regarding the concept of freedom.  The study group is composed of 34 students studying in History Teaching Department in Kazım Karabekir Education Faculty in Ataturk University during the spring term of 2013-2014 academic year and taking the course “Human Rights and Democracy II”.  There is no sampling in the study as a result of being in contact with all of the students. Thirty four forms obtained from the pre-service history teachers are examined carefully and four students’ forms are not considered for evaluation because of lack of necessary requirements. It is revealed that out of 30 forms, pre-service teachers use 26 metaphors in total regarding the concept of freedom. When the metaphors developed are examined, it is understood that pre-service teachers mostly resemble the concept of freedom to a bird, a kite, and a life.  Considering the common features of these metaphors, they are grouped under 7 categories. These categories include equality, struggle, changing according to circumstance, respect to others, balance factor, life space and richness. An expert’s opinion from the field is taken regarding the metaphors’ representation of the categories. Three metaphors do not overlap the coding carried out by the researcher and the expert. Using Miles and Huberman’s formula, reliability is found as 90.  Out of the categories formed, “respect to others” and “life space” are the categories which are represented by the major metaphors. 

Key words: History, history teacher, metaphor, freedom, pre-service history teachers, education faculty.