Determination of the perceptions of 7th class middle school students on the concept of atom by using metaphor

The aim of this study is to determine the metaphorical perceptions of secondary school 7th grade students towards the concept of "Atom". In the study, the "phenomenology" pattern, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was used. 150 students studying in the 7th grade in the spring semester of the 2021-2022 academic year constitute the sample of the study. 27 of these samples were determined to be unsuitable for the study and were not included in the analysis. When the data sheets that were not suitable for the study were removed, the remaining 123 data sheets were included in the study. As a data collection tool, a form consisting of 1 question for the determined concept was used. The worksheet "Atom…. It is like because…" The data collected after completing the sentence were analyzed using the content analysis technique. It was revealed that 123 students produced 39 different metaphors. When these 39 different metaphors were examined in terms of common features, they were collected in 6 different categories. These categories are particle, shape, composition, size, functionality, and disorder. It has been observed that the most frequently repeated metaphor is "solar system". In the analysis, it was revealed that the mental images that the students thought about while developing metaphors referred to different properties of the atom.