A Metaphorical Approach Regarding the Equipment of Students with Abstract Concepts and Values Included in the Citizenship and Democracy Education Curriculum

Abstract

This study attempted to investigate the effects of metaphor-based teaching activities on equipping students with abstract concepts and values, such as “rights, freedom, tolerance, responsibility, equality, honor, solidarity, love, fairness, reconciliation, peace, and patriotism, all of which are included in the themes “Our Rights and Freedoms” and “Our Duties and Responsibilities” of the 8th Grade Citizenship and Democracy Education Curriculum. The study was conducted in the eighth grade students attending a  secondary school located in the city center of Konya, in 2012-2013 academic year. This study was designed based on the Mixed Methods Research and consists and consist two stages. The first stage of the study was designed according to the experimental design. To this end, two groups, namely an experimental group and a control group, were formed. The experimental group included 38 students whereas the control group consisted of 36 students. “Concept Test” was used to collect data. The second stage of the study, on the other hand, was designed based on the case study design and the focus group interview was used to collect data. Interviews were held with 36 students in the experimental group. The content analysis technique was used to reach the concepts and correlations that would account for the data that were collected. As a result of the study (according to the quantitative and qualitative research findings), it was observed that metaphor-based teaching activities were effective in the teaching of abstract concepts and values.