KARAÇAM, Sedat Düzce Üniversitesi - Eğitim Fakültesi, Turkey

The Relationships Among Middle School Students’ Perceptions About Scientist and Gender and Grade Level

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The aim of this study is to examine the relationships among middle school students’ perceptions about scientist, their genders and grade levels. 422 students attending the 6th and 7th grades of secondary schools in Duzce participated in this study. However, data from 356 students were used since 66 students’ metaphors were invalid or blank. Tests were implemented at 2013-2014 academic year. Students’ perceptions about scientist were determined via metaphors. In this perspective, students were given sentences that “Scientist is a……………… because……………..” At the first part of analysis, students’ conceptual categories about scientist were determined through data obtained via metaphors that are analyzed by using “content analysis approach”. At the second part, Chi Square test was used to determine the relationships among gender, grade and students’ perceptions about scientist. Results of analysis showed that there is no statistically significant relationship between gender and students’ scientist perceptions. Related to students’ grade levels, it is found that there is a statistically significant relationship between grade level and perceptions about scientist. According to those findings, it is asserted that students studying in upper grade have more positive perceptions about scientist than their lower graders’ perceptions.

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Perception about scientist , middle school students , metaphor

Mersin University Journal Of The Faculty Of Education

699