Preservice Science Teachers’ Metaphorical Perceptions Related to “Technology” Concept

How preservice science teachers perceive technology is significant because we cannot think science and technology separately. Using metaphors is one of the method helps to examine how a concept, technology in this contect, is perceive. A metaphor can be defined as the process of defining a less known concept by using a more known concept and explaining why it is defined that way. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to examine preservice science teachers’ metaphorical perceptions related to the technology concept. This study was conducted with 110 volunteer undergraduate preservice science teachers from a state university in Western Türkiye. As a methodology, phenomenology was selected from qualitative research. For data collection process, participants fill in the blanks: “technology looks like ………….. because ………..”. Data was analyzed by using content analysis. All collected data was categorized as positive (N=83), negative(N=15), and neutral(N=12) in the first phase. Positive codes were found as useful, developing, changing, need, unlimited, helpful, valuable, source of information, facilitating, enlightening, widespreading and guiding. Negative codes were found as addictive, harmful, and endless. Lastly, neutral codes were found as balance and variability. According to the general findings of this study, preservice science teachers’ perceptions related to the technology was mostly positive. However, negative perceptions relied on addictiveness of technology can be harmful. Preservice science teachers’ neutral perceptions both expressed negative and positive sides of the technology. By considering the technology integration in education, it is thought that examining preservice science teachers’ metaphorical perceptions are important and more studies need for the future.