The effect of the use of metaphor in Religious Culture and Ethics course on the realization level of the cognitive acquisitions of the course doctoral dissertation

The aim of this study is to reveal the effect of the use of metaphor in Religious Culture and Ethics (RCIA) course on the level of realization of the cognitive gains of the course. In this study, the converging parallel design of the mixed method was used in order to obtain more comprehensive and reliable results by collecting quantitative and qualitative data together and analyzing them separately. Within the scope of quantitative research, the experimental research method was applied on 7th grade students in Cumhuriyet Secondary School in Elazığ province in the 2021-2022 academic year. The applications were carried out in the "Moral Behaviors" unit in the RCM course. The quantitative data of the study were obtained from the achievement test applied on two classes, one of which constituted the experimental group and one of which constituted the control group. Qualitative data were obtained through document analysis, data collection method through metaphor and focus group interview. The quantitative findings of the study showed that there were significant differences in the pre-test, post-test and retention test results between the experimental group where metaphor-based teaching activities were applied and the control group where the current curriculum was applied. According to the results of the retention test, it was seen that the experimental group showed a higher increase in the level of realization of the course outcomes after the implementation of the RCCE course compared to the control group. In the qualitative dimension of the study, findings supporting the quantitative dimension were obtained. The findings obtained from the students' opinions showed that the use of metaphors in the RCCE course provided positive effects such as facilitating learning, improving thinking skills, increasing retention, making the lesson fun and remarkable, increasing participation in the lesson and enabling active learning. As a result of the quantitative and qualitative findings of the study, it was understood that the use of metaphor in the RCLT lessons facilitated students' learning and increased the retention of knowledge. It was seen that the teaching method based on the use of metaphor, which is appropriate for student-centered learning approaches, contributes to active learning by encouraging students to think and associating existing knowledge with new knowledge. In this context, it was concluded that the use of metaphor in the RCCE course has a positive effect on the level of realization of the cognitive gains of the course. Keywords: Religious education and teaching, Religious Culture and Ethics course, metaphor.