Analysis of Primary Education Students’ Metaphorical Perceptions of the Concept of Learning/Analiza metaforičkih percepcija pojma učenja kod učenika u osnovnoj školi

Abstract

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the metaphors that are used by 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students in primary education relating to the concept of learning. The study is qualitative and it has been conducted using an interpretative approach. Two hundred and eighteen students participated in the study, but because the survey questionnaires of 83 students were considered invalid for different reasons, the analysis of the data was carried out for 135 students. The data were collected through a survey containing open ended sentences, such as “Learning is like ...... because ......”. The content analysis technique was used to analyze the data. The data analysis was conducted in the following four stages: 1) coding and elimination; 2) category development; 3) validity and reliability; and 4) data interpretation. The data analysis showed that primary education students produced a total of 86 metaphors that were related to the concept of learning, and these metaphors were collected for 12 categories: the metaphors of 3rd grade students were collected for 6 categories, while the metaphors of 4th grade students were collected for 10 categories, and the metaphors of 5th grade students were collected for 11 categories. All of the categories, except for one, are composed of positive perceptions. Accordingly, it can be said that overall, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students have positive perceptions about learning.

Key words: interpretative qualitative research approach; learning; metaphor.

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Sažetak

Cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je ustanoviti kojim se metaforama koriste učenici trećega, četvrtoga i petoga razreda osnovne škole koje su vezane uz pojam učenje. Ovo je istraživanje kvalitativnoga karaktera, a provedeno je koristeći se interpretacijskim pristupom. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 218 učenika, a s obzirom na to da su 83 upitnika nevažeća iz raznih razloga, analizi je podvrgnuto 135 učeničkih upitnika. Podatci su prikupljeni koristeći se anketom s tvrdnjama otvorenoga tipa poput: „Učenje je poput…… jer …….“. Tehnikom analize sadržaja mogli smo analizirati podatke. Podatci su analizirani u sljedeća četiri koraka: 1) kodiranje i eliminacija; 2) kategoriziranje; 3) valjanost i pouzdanost; 4) interpretacija rezultata. Analiza podataka pokazala je da su učenici u osnovnoj školi iskazali ukupno 86 metafora koje su bile povezane s pojmom učenje, a te su metafore svrstane u dvanaest kategorija: metafore učenika trećega razreda u 6 kategorija, metafore učenika četvrtoga razreda u 10 kategorija, metafore učenika petoga razreda u 11 kategorija. Sve kategorije izuzev jedne sadržavale su pozitivnu percepciju o učenju. Shodno tome, možemo reći da učenici trećega, četvrtoga i petoga razreda uglavnom imaju pozitivnu percepciju o učenju. 

Ključne riječi: interpretacijski pristup kvalitativnom istraživanju; metafora; učenje.