The Perceptions of Gifted Students about Distance Education: A Metaphor Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify gifted students’ perceptions regarding the concept of distance education through metaphor analysis. In this research, “phenomenology research design”, which is one of the qualitative research designs, was used. The study group of the research consisted of 190 gifted students studying at Osmaniye Şehit Veli Demiryürek Science and Art Center and Kastamonu Science and Art Center in the 2019-2020 academic year. In line with the purpose of the research, the participants were asked to fill the sentence "Distance education ………. similar / like, because …………… ” and the data obtained were analyzed using the analysis steps specific to metaphor studies via content analysis. According to the findings of the study, gifted students produced 168 valid metaphors about distance education and these metaphors were grouped under 9 themes with 5 different conceptual categories in terms of their common features. In this study, when the metaphors and justifications produced by gifted students for distance education were examined, it was concluded that distance education provided an effective learning opportunity by contributing to the facilitation, reinforcement and accessibility of gifted students' learning lives. It can be said that the metaphors produced in the research and the data obtained will be a guide for the distance education system for the needs of gifted students and extraordinary situations such as the pandemic process.