Lise ve Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Gözünden “Üniversite”: Bir Metafor Çalışması

Abstract

This study aims to reveal how high school and university students use metaphors to talk about universities.Adopting a phenomenological research design in our study, we collected qualitative data from 182 high schooland 252 university students. After collecting data, we performed a content analysis to assist us in developingrelevant codes and themes for the metaphors used by students. The content analysis allowed us to devise thefollowing themes for the metaphors cited by high school students: universities’ being a personal developmentcenter, a place to prepare for and start life, a center of knowledge and learning, a social and cultural hub, acenter for career development, freedom, a place that fosters happiness, and a place that is difficult to access.The themes for university students’ metaphors were: universities’ being center for a personal development,a place to prepare for and start life, a center for knowledge and learning, a social and cultural hub, a centerfor career development, freedom, missed expectations, and a place that fosters happiness and a feeling ofbelonging. Our study revealed certain differences in how high school and university students regardeduniversities. Using the findings of our study, university administrators can revise their visions and services tofit the themes emerging from this study.