Abstract

This research was conducted to reveal the metaphors of Secondary school students about “earthquake” concept. About 105 students in two schools in Karabük city centre participated in the research within 2009 - 2010 academic year. The research Data were obtained by students’ completing the statement “Earthquake is like ....... ,because........”. Content Analysis Technique of Qualitative Research Method was used to analyse and interpret the collected Data. According to the outcome of the research, secondary school students created 55 different and acceptible metaphors related to “earthquake” concept. These metaphors were classified under 6 different conceptual categories after being studied carefully in relation with their common features. At the end of the research, It was understood that 34% of the secondary school students perceived earthquake as ‘a burning and destroying event’, 12.5% of them perceived it as ‘scary and terrifying’, 12.5% of the students as a ‘worrying event’, 10.2% of the students as ‘an exemplary event’, 18.1% as ‘a way of expressing death’ and 9.0 % as ‘a prudent event’.

Key words: Earthquake, metaphor, conceptual categories, geography education.