Examination of the perception of the ratio and proportion sub-learning domain of the seventh graders of secondary school

In this study, it was aimed to determine the metaphorical perceptions of secondary school seventh grade students about the concepts included in the ratio and proportion sub-learning domain and to examine their skills of developing metaphors and making metaphorical drawings according to gender. The research group of the study, in which the phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used, consists of 205 seventh grade students studying in seven different public secondary schools in a province in the Black Sea Region in the 2021-2022 academic year. The schools were determined by the purposeful sampling method. Metaphoric Perception Evaluation Form (MADF) was used as a data collection tool in the study. Content analysis was used in the analysis of the data obtained from MADF. The chi-square test was used in the analysis of data on gender. According to the findings of the research, it has been determined that the number of valid metaphors for the concepts of ratio and direct proportion is higher, and the number of valid metaphors for the concepts of proportion and proportionality constant is less. Again, it has been determined that students perceive the concept of ratio with the feature of comparing, the concept of proportion with the feature of equality, the concept of direct proportion with the feature of increasing-decreasing multiplicities together, the concept of inverse proportion with the feature of increasing and decreasing multiplicities, and the concept of proportionality constant with the feature of invariance. However, a significant difference was determined in favor of female students between creating a valid metaphor for the concept of proportion and gender, but no significant difference was found for other concepts. On the other hand, a significant difference was found between the situation of drawing metaphors and gender for the concept of proportion in favor of female students, and no significant difference was found for other concepts.