Vo l. 10(1), p p . 36-49, 10 Ja nua ry, 2015
DOI:10.5897/ ERR2014.1846
Artic le Numb e r: 701D77149487
ISSN 1990-3839
C o p yrig ht © 2015
Autho r(s) re ta in the c o p yrig ht o f this a rtic le
http :/ / www.a c a d e mic jo urna ls.o rg / ERR
Educational Research and Reviews
Full Length Research Paper
Longitudinal investigation of perceptions towards
university concept through metaphors: A university
Sample in Turkey
Türkan Argon
Abant Izzet Baysal University Educational Faculty, Bolu/Turkey.
Received 23 May, 2014; Accepted 11 December, 2014
This study aims to fill the gap in the field of observation-based longitudinal studies about metaphors in
educational literature and investigates students’ perceptions about the concept of universty before and
after university by identifying and comparing the change and the direction of change observed in
perceptions. The phenomenological study was conducted on 128 Abant İzzet Baysal University first
year students selected through maximum variation sampling method during 2012-2013 academic year.
Qualitative data collection technique was used in the study and descriptive and content analyses were
used in data analysis. Based on the metaphors used during research, the following categories were
obtained prior to university entrance: place hard work is rewarded, place that is difficult to reach,
personal development center, free place, culture center and vocational/professional center whereas
categories subsequent to university entrance were found as vocational/professional center, culture
center, place of research, happy environment, a new beginning, life sample, disappointment, loneliness
and hardship. Comparison of conceptual categories for “before and after categories” shows that
perceptions were positive prior to university entrance, some positive perceptions changed to negative
and university was defined as disappointment, loneliness and hardship.
Key words: University, metaphor, teacher candidate, longitudinal.
INTRODUCTION
Throughout history, universities, both the producers and
implementors of knowledge, scientific and technological
development and transformation and qualified man
power, have been and always will be the centers of attention for all world societies. Universities have changed
their visions and undertaken new missions and visions to
remove borders among countries in a world that has
transformed into a small village due to the effects of
macro-level globalization, to compete at national and
international levels and to cooperate and share experiences. In the micro-level, demands for universities
regarded as crucial for future employment opportunities
are increasing day by day. Changes in the views of
individuals especially of students towards universities are
expected along with these changes. Being the driving
force of change, universities are striving to keep up with
this process. One of the pillars of this process is
composed of scientific research. Literature presents
E-ma il: turka na rg o n@ ho tma il.c o m
Autho rs a g re e tha t this a rtic le re ma in p e rma ne ntly o p e n a c c e ss und e r the te rms o f the C re a tive C o mmo ns
Attrib utio n Lic e nse 4.0 Inte rna tio na l Lic e nse
Argon
various scientific studies on universities some of which
utilize metaphors to identify the current situation (See:
Kumral, 2009; Dalgıç et al., 2012; Bozdemir and Uluman,
2012; Tortop, 2013; Konaklı and Göğüş, 2013; Korkmaz
and Bağçeci, 2013).
Metaphors that aim to reflect the social reality
(Töremen, 2009) play important roles in the field of
education aesthetically and pedagogically (Botha, 2009)
and facilitate the comprehension of topics that are not
sufifciently understood (Semerci, 2007). As a method of
thought and observation, metaphors facilitate our
comprehension of the world (Morgan, 1998) and present
how realities and experiences are interpreted consciously
or unconsciously while individuals manage their daily
thoughts and actions (Kılıç and Arakan, 2010). Teacher
training is a tool that can especially be used to direct
teaching practices and to define the place of teachers in
modern educational approaches (Vadeboncoeur and
Torres, 2003). Metaphors have opened up new channels
for educational analyses by transforming teacher,
administrator and student languages into the language of
researchers to allow better comprehension of the world of
education (Jensen, 2006). Institutionally, metaphors are
the best documents to understand organizational
processes (Bolman and Deal, 1991; cited in Spears and
Szczerbacki, 2013). They provide a new way by
presenting creative opportunities to observe and know
organizations (McCourt, 1997) and focus on how
organizations are viewed, how organizations view
themselves and the operations, communication and
interaction in the organizational structure (Ruben, 2014).
Metaphor theories are highly effective to comprehend
organizational culture and transformation by clarifying the
dynamics and mechanisms underlying complex concepts
and processes (Morgan, 2006; Pondy, 1983, cited in
White, 2013).
It is common practice to refer to students’ views
through the use of metaphors to determine state of
matters, to present positions of change and to undertake
restructuring in universities which are at the highest level
of the education system. Students are both important
sources of data to identify the current situation and one of
the most important stakeholders in universities as well. In
the context of education faculties, teacher candidates’
perceptions on universities and the meanings they
attribute to universities are rather crucial for universities
to develop themselves institutionally and to identify their
places and importance in educational and social
respects. The common point in the studies undertaken up
to now is the instantaneous description of the current
situation through the use of student views. Observationbased longitudinal studies that follow the change in the
metaphors of same students are not available in literature. In other words, there are no studies that identify
students’ perceptions on universities prior to university
attendance and compare these with the subsequent
perceptions to determine whether there are changes in
the perceptions. These types of studies may be important
37
indicators to develop universities by identifying the
change and its direction (positive/negative) and
determining the effective variables (university conditions,
instructors, type of training, negative or positive
experiences etc.). These studies are also important to
increase quality in profession by ensuring the identification of beliefs, dispositions and professional practices
prior to service implementation and by contributing to
professional development (Noyes, 2004; cited in Güveli
et al., 2011). This study aims to fill the gap in the field of
observation-based longitudinal studies about metaphors
in educational literature and identifies and compares
students’ perceptions before and after university. In this
sense, the study aims to identify the change in the
perceptions of freshman students and to present the
reasons of positive or negative changes. Study results
are expected to lead university administrators, instructors
and policy makers to develop the academic and social
qualities of universities. Based on the specified rationale,
the study sets out to identify the views of teacher
candidates regarding the concept of “university” prior and
subsequent to university entrance with the help of
metaphors. Parallel to this aim, answers to questions
below were sought in the current study:
1. What are the common characteristics between the
metaphors used by teacher candidates prior and
subsequent to university attendance?
2. Which qualities of universities are assessed with the
help of metaphors used by teacher candidates prior and
subsequent to university attendance?
METHOD
Research model
This study uses phenomenological study design, which is a qualitative research method. Phenomenological study design focuses on
concepts about which that the researcher is aware of but does not
have detailed and in-depth understanding. This design provides a
suitable research basis for researchers to study concepts that are
not completely foreign but not fully comprehended yet (Yıldırım and
Şimşek, 2006).
Working group
The study was conducted on 128 freshman students attending
Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Education, English (n=31),
Classroom Teaching (n=34), Social Sciences (n=33) and Turkish
(n=30) Departments during 2012-2013 academic year. Maximum
variation sampling method, a purposeful sampling method, was
used in the selection of students to ensure maximum representation
of student variety. Purpose of sample selection is not to generalize
the findings to the universe by ensuring variety but to determine the
similarities and differences among variable situations (Yıldırım and
Şimşek, 2006). Table 1 displays the personal information of the
working group.
According to Table 1, female students are the majority in the
working group. Number of participants from the departments and
ratio of male-female students are close to each other.
38
Educ. Res. Rev.
Table 1. Students’ personal information.
Personal variables
Departments
Classroom
Social Sciences
13
14
24.5
26.4
Total
Male
f
%
English
12
22.6
Turkish
14
26.4
53
100.0
Female
f
%
19
25.3
21
28.0
19
25.3
16
21.3
75
100.0
f
%
31
24.2
34
26.6
33
25.8
30
23.4
128
100.0
Gender
Total
Data collection
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Qualitative data collection technique through the use of metaphors
was used in the study. Metaphor is the use of a figure of speech in
the place of another for purposes of comparison (TLA, 1983).
Metaphors express the users’ actions and thoughts (Draaisma,
2007) and help identifying how the concepts which need to be
analyzed are perceived by individuals (Rızvanoğlu, 2007). They
ensure that individuals attribute meaning to and undertand their
experiences (Yıldırım and Şimşek, 2006) by explaining unknown
experiences with the help of the known (Lakoff and Johnson, 2005)
and by transmitting deep messages about thoughts and beliefs
(Beyerchen, 2014). Metaphors that are valuable research tools in
providing a new outlook to educational practices and theories
(Jensen, 2006) are powerful mental tools that can be used to
comprehend and explain highly abstract, complex or theoretical
concepts (Yob, 2003).
A 6-item form was prepared and distributed to voluntary students
to determine freshman students’ metaphor perceptions regarding
“university, instrcutor and university students” concepts prior and
subsequent to university entrance. Students were asked to
complete the following prompts found in the forms: “University/An
instructor/A university student was like….. before I entered
university, because….” and “University/An instructor/A university
student is like……now (after I have started the university),
because…”.
I. Phase: identification of valid data
They were instructed to use a metaphor for each concept and
given information about the importance of writing their rationales
and were told that their identities would be kept confidential to
reflect their honest and real views.
Liteature on studies using metaphors does not include studies
that observe the change in the metaphors used by the same
students, i.e. observation-based longitudinal studies are not
available. The difference of the current study lies in the assessment
of the views of the same students in order to effectively present
whether there is a change in the studied concepts and their
characteristic in time. Each student was given a code and analyzed
for “before and after”.
To prevent possible influences on the identification of perceptions
regarding university, first implementation was carried out during first
week of school (September, 2012) to identify their perceptions
about university and the second implementation was conducted at
the end of the first year (May, 2013) to reflect their perceptions
about university after they were fully formed and could reflect
reality. Since findings regarding university, instructor and university
student concepts take up too much space in analyses, only the
findings related to “university” concept was presented and
discussed.
Collected data were transferred to digital environment, common
criteria were identified and metaphors and the rationale behind
them were examined. Investigation focused on the following points:
1. It was checked to see whether the same participants answered
to both “before and after university” sections and 12 views that do
not include both views were left out of analysis.
2. Each metaphor was examined in detail and statements with the
characteristics of similes and adjectives were left out of analysis, for
instance, student 118 used the metaphor “a school that can easily
be completed” to express his/her views prior to university.
3. Metaphors including more than one metaphor for university and
metaphors including various views were eliminated. For instance,
student 37 was left out of analysis for using more than one
metaphor (center of science, freedom) and student 65 was left out
of analysis for expressing various functions related to university
(University is like a film strip because there are many activities, an
environment of freedom and many friends there. I mean there are
many things).
4. Metaphors were examined to observe whether the rationales
provided for metaphors emphasized any characteristics of
universities. For instance, student 91 emphasized the university as
provider of an income source in the metaphor “University is the
place where one earns his living because money doesn't grow on
trees” but did not sufficiently explain the rationale and did not state
the function of the university appropriately.
5. Out of the 180 forms that were examined, 12 of the forms were
blank or half filled, therefore 168 forms were taken into
consideration. A total of 40 forms (coded 3, 4, 8, 18, 20, 26, 28, 31,
37, 38, 42, 45, 51, 54, 57, 60, 64, 65, 69, 70, 78, 81, 83, 85, 88, 91,
96, 101, 105, 107, 109, 115, 116, 118, 125, 126, 130, 132, 165 and
166) were left out of analysis based on the reasons mentioned
above and the remaining 128 forms were recoded and transferred
to digital environment to be assessed.
II. Phase: data analysis
Descriptive and content analysis techniques were used in data
analysis. Descriptive analysis aims to present the findings to the
reader following the organization and interpretation of data. ın this
context, the data are first described systematically and clearly,
descriptions are explained and interpreted and cause-effect
relationships are examined to obtain results. Direct quotations are
used often to reflect participants’ views more impressively.
Argon
39
Table 2. Categories formed regarding university and frequency distribution of the categories.
Prior to University Entrance
Categories
Place where hard work is rewarded
Place that is difficult to reach
Personal development center
A free place
Culture center
Vocational/Professional center
f
30
29
28
18
14
9
%
23.4
22.7
21.9
14.1
10.9
7.0
Total
128
100.0
The main purpose in content analysis is to arrive at concepts and
relationships that can explain the collected data. First the data are
conceptualized and later themes that explain the data are identified
following the organization of prominent concepts (Yıldırım and
Şimşek, 2006). During content analysis, the metaphors generated
by participants were listed temporarily in the alphabetical order and
repeating metaphors were checked. Later, valid comparisons and
their logical rationale were examined, similar metaphors were
collected under common headings (categories) and 6 categories
were obtained. Impressive metaphors and their rationales were
provided with direct quotations.
The following steps were followed to increase the validity and
reliability of the study: steps for collecting data and obtaining results
were reported in detail to increase the persuasiveness and
transferability of the study. Direct quotations were provided by
keeping participants’ identities confidential. Obtained metaphors
and categories were presented to two experts to match each
metaphor with a category and match-ups by the researcher and the
experts were compared. Categories were formed based on student
views prior to university since the study primarily focused on the
changes observed in student views subsequent to university
entrance. Following the identification of the instances of agreement
and disagreement, inter-reliability was calculated with the help of
Miles and Huberman’s (1994) formula (Reliability= agreement /
agreement + disagreement). Inter-reliability ratio was calculated to
be 85%. Results were associated with the presented data and
objectivity was followed in data analysis.
III. Phase: reliability and validity
Validity in qualitative studies is related to the accuracy of scientific
findings and reliability is associated with the reproducibility of
scientific findings (Yıldırım and Şimşek, 2006). In this context, some
precautions were taken to increase the reliability and validity of the
study.
a. During the development of the form, literature review was used to
generate the conceptual framework of the topic to increase internal
validity. During content analysis themes were selected to be
extensive enough to include related concepts but narrow enough to
exclude unrelated concepts. Interrelations between themes and sub
themes and the relationship between each time with one another
were checked to ensure integrity. In order for the collected data to
reflect the actual situation, students were provided with necessary
information during form completion and mutual trust was created to
allow expression of views in honesty.
Subsequent to University Entrance
Categories
f
Vocational/professional center
26
Disappointment
26
Culture center
21
Place of research
19
Happy environment
11
Life example
9
A new beginning
8
Place of loneliness
5
Hardship
3
Total
128
%
20.3
20.3
16.4
14.8
8.6
7.0
6.3
3.9
2.3
100.0
b. In order to increase external validity (transferability), the research
process and the tasks during the process were explained in detail.
In this context, the research model, working group, data collection
tool, data collection process, data analysis and interpretation were
defined in detail.
c. All findings were presented without comments in order to
increase internal reliability (consistency) of the study. Coding was
done separately on the data by an instructor experienced in
qualitative research field and the researcher and the codes were
compared to calculate the rate of consistency.
d. Tasks undertaken in the process were explained in detail to
increase external reliability (verifiability) of the study. In addition to
this, raw data and codes are kept by the researcher to allow other
researchers to examine them.
FINDINGS
Table 2 presents the distribution of frequencies for
metaphor categories created by students about the
“university” concept prior and subsequent to university
entrance. Since Tables 3 through 8 focus on the changes
after university entrance, the information on this table is
based on the prior to university entrance categories to
determine whether there were changes in student views
and whether the changes were positive or negative if
there were any changes.
Categories Related to University
Table 2 shows that prior to university entrance, students
perceive the university as Place where hard work is
rewarded (23.4%), Place that is difficult to reach (22.7%)
and Personal development center (21.9%). These views
are followed by A free place (14.1%), Culture center
(10.9%) and Vocational/Professional center (7.0%). It is
interesting to note that function of employment is cited
last. It may be related to the fact that students regard
university as a difficult place to get into and focus on
getting into university before they think about the
employment opportunities that the university will provide.
40
Educ. Res. Rev.
Table 3. Distribution of subsequent views of students who defined university as “a place where you get rewarded for
hard work” prior to university entrance.
Code
1
14
33
48
53
61
81
86
109
110
Code
3
9
39
Prior to University Entrance
Metaphor
Category
Heaven
Lush prairie
Heaven
A magical globe
Aquarium
Culture center
Holiday venue
Finish Line
Solved Puzzle
Dream
Place you get
Metaphor
rewarded for
Holiday Village
hard work
Rest Area
City
12
62
111
13
85
105
20
78
90
37
54
70
93
114
41
47
67
Entertainment center
Holiday Village
Sky
Palace
Folk song
Rose
Rest Area
Holiday Village
Ball point pen
Palace
Holiday Village
Entertainment center
Holiday Village
A sort of prayer
Dream world
State-of-the-art car
Entertainment venue
Students believe that they will be rewarded after this
formidable process. Student views about the concept of
university have diversified subsequent to university
entrance.
The metaphor of Vocational/Professional center
identified as the last item prior to university entrance
moved to the top of the list subsequent to university
entrance. Ratios of identification are the same for
Vocational/Professional
center
(20.3%)
and
Disappointment (20.3%) followed by Culture center
(16.4%) and Place of research (14.8%). There are also
students who qualify university as a Happy environment,
A new beginning, Life example, Place of loneliness and
Hardship.
Comparison of conceptual categories of the metaphors
students used prior and subsequent to university entrance
Subsequent to University Entrance
Negative Change/Metaphor
Category
Deserted island
3-star hotel
Road bend
Empty box
Disappointment
Nightmare
Prison
Mountain slope
Prison
Large Dress
Village
Positive Change/Metaphor
Category
Camp
Research
Nazi Camp
Library whose doors are not
opened for many years
Short cut
Farm
Life example
Sky
Culture Palace
Variety
Potpourri
World
Pigeonhole
Happy
environment
Above the clouds
Eggplant
Atelier
Professional
Mill
training
Factory
A tree that bears fruit
A tree that bears fruit
Light
Bridge of transition
A second world
A new beginning
shows that all of the prior views are positive. However
views of the 26.5% of these students have changed for
the negative subsequent to university entrance. Students
who have developed negative per-ceptions identified
university as disappointment (20.3%), a place of
loneliness (3.9%) and hardship (2.3%).
Common characteristics regarding the concept of
university
Place where hard work is rewarded
According to Table 3, students regard the university as a
place where they will experience the rewards of their hard
work since they prepare to the university with a lengthy
Argon
and challenging process. Although the majority of positive
student views stay the same after university entrance,
some negative changes are also observed and metaphors
such as empty box, nightmare and 3-star hotel are
included among views as well.
Student views such as following present negative
changes in student views: Student 14 (SS; Male): “The
University was like a lush prairie for me before I came. I
thought it was a very nice place where I would be free
from stress and in perfect harmony with nature. But now
it feels like a 3-star hotel because it requires hard work
just like I had to study in primary and secondary grades.
When this is the case, there are not many opportunities
to develop oneself in other regards”; student 53 (E,
Female): “University was an aquarium for me because
prior graduates who visited us at school told us that the
university was a place where you can be comfortable. But
now I am here, it is like a nightmare because it is not
what I hoped or expected it to be” and student 109 (CT,
Male): “I regarded the university as a solved puzzle
before I started university. I used to see it as a place
where I would finally feel relaxed and would rest since I
would have solved the problems of my life upon entrance.
But now it feels like a large dress for me since I did not
observe any changes since I started the university, it
feels like a slightly developed form of high school”.
Varieties are observed in positive student views which
continue to be positive subsequent to university entrance.
University concept previously identified as a place where
rewards of hard work will be received is identified as
research, life example, cultural diversity and a happy
place subsequently. Views found in the following
statements are examples of positive views that continue
to be positive: Student 39 (E, Female): “It felt like a city
before I came. I dreamed of it as a campus in which
many individuals continued their lives. I thought of it as a
campus with a shopping center, cafes or cinemas; a lively
place. But now it feels like a library whose doors have not
been opened for many years, actually it provides many
opportunities if you know how to obtain it. However, it is
like a deserted library due to insensitive patrons. People
regard it as a financial resource, some place to allow
them to earn money rather than some place to read and
learn” and student 13 (SS, Male): I used to dream of the
university as a palace because I wanted it to be as
beautiful as one. I would like to think of university as
place in which students who have accomplished to get in
would study happily. But now I am here, it reminds me of
a center of culture because it is the place where students
develop the most”.
Although metaphors that included words such as prison
and camp gave the impression of being negative, they
were assessed as positive due to the rationale provided
by the students which suggests that university is a place
of hard work. The following statement by student 9 (SS,
Male) is a sample for this phenomenon: “For me,
university was like a rest area before I came because
41
getting into the university was going to make up for half of
my target. Almost everyone who was accepted into
university after all this hard work was telling me that they
had more fun than they had before in their normal lives.
But after acceptance, the university feels like a Nazi
camp, there is no respite and there is constant work. It is
really a place for the ones who deserve it”.
Place that is difficult to reach
Table 4 shows that students perceived university as a
place that is difficult to reach prior to university entrance
with the metaphors they used such as mountain, castle
and steel door. It was observed that the majority of
students (n=18) had a positive change in their views.
Views of 11 students displayed negative changes
subsequent to starting university due to reasons such as
loneliness, hardships and inability to find what they
expected. Examples of statements that represented
loneliness were as follows: S 122 (C, Male) stated that
“University was like a faraway star for me because
reaching that star was very difficult, even impossible and
we all had the fear of not attaining it. But now I am here, it
is like a foreign country because I cannot find the
closeness we had in high school. You feel alone. If we
continue to regard it as a star, maybe it is more difficult to
own it rather than reaching for it” and S 8 (SS, Female)
expressed that “It was a difficult castle to enter for me
because it was not a place that everybody is accepted,
there was a challenging exam and only a small number of
millions of people could pass it. But now I am here, it is
like a fridge because you are alone and by yourself.
University environment feels very cold”. The statements
that represented disappointment are as follows: S 99 (C,
Female) stated that “University was a summit before I
came here because it caused us to perceive it as difficult
to achieve during our preparations. It felt like we could
never reach that summit. But now, it feels like a corn
poppy to me. It is just like a corn poppy which is beautiful
right before it is picked and it sheds its petals when you
pick it; I realized when I was accepted into university that
it was not something to be exaggerated. Its only
difference from school, I mean high school is that you
wear civilian clothes, otherwise you go to hostel, you go
to class, it is all the same” and S 22 (SS, Female)
reported that “University was like a high wall before I
started to university because I was studying very hard
and the wall was so high that it was unattainable and a
distant dream for me therefore I used to review my hopes
and dreams when someone mentioned university.
However, it feels like a low wall now because whoever
studies can do it. It was not something to exaggerate
anyway”.
S 31 (SS, Female) whose views changed positively
subsequent to university entrance said that she regarded
university as the peak of Everest before she started
42
Educ. Res. Rev.
Table 4. Distribution of subsequent views of students who defined university as “a place that is difficult to reach” prior to
university entrance.
Code
8
50
101
122
22
44
69
98
99
103
63
Code
2
10
25
57
77
87
31
36
42
52
55
106
113
119
35
65
95
112
Prior to University Entrance
Metaphor
Category
A castle that is difficult to enter
Castle
Vineyard
Star
High wall
Mount Kaf
Summit of the Himalayas
Diamond
Summit
Phoenix
World of Wonders
Metaphor
Place that is
Summit
difficult to reach
Mount Kaf
Phoenix
Summit
Dream
Ivory tower
Peak of Everest
Summit of the Himalayas
Gold medal
Star
Summit
Tree
Steel door
Diamond
Star
Nightmare
Musical chairs
Summit
university and explained her rationale in the following
statement: “Many people I closely knew studied real hard
but they could not pass the university entrance exam in
3-4 tries” and emphasized the existence of constant
study and development by mentioning that “University is
like a bee hive because students are given every task
regarding research since assignments and classes
require constant research. Students are never free and
they constantly study”. S 65 (Male) identified the
university as a place to facilitate finding opportunities for
employment in the following statement: “It was like a
nightmare because university was crucial to get into for
me; it was my biggest dream to be in that environment. I
was scared not to be able to accomplish this dream.
Therefore, it was a nightmare for me. But now it feels like
the court since it decided my future income and job
opportunities”. S 42 (E, Male) emphasized the characteristic of university as a place that requires constant
Subsequent to University Entrance
Negative Change/Metaphor Category
Fridge
Loneliness
Fridge
Hot pepper
Foreign country
A low wall
A site
Emptiness
Pen
Disappointment
Corn-Poppy
A low wall
Challenging racetrack
Hardship
Positive Change/Metaphor
Category
Wheel of fortune
Plate
World
World
Variety
Aquarium
Culture palace
Bee hive
Bee hive
Sun
Data bank
Ocean
Research
Sea
Library
Treasure
Furniture ateliers
Court
Professional
Training
Field
Bridge
study and acquisition of knowledge in his statement:
“University was like a gold medal for me before I started
school because I thought it would be difficult to get into.
People around me made negative comments all the time.
I always thought that I would not be accepted into university and get the gold medal. But now I am here, it feels
like the sun because all scientific studies, experienced
teachers and smart students revolve around it”.
Personal development center
According to Table 5, there is almost no negative change
in the views of students who previously regarded
university as a personal development center. S 121 (C,
Female) pointed to the difficulty concept with her
statement. “Before I started the university, it was like a
tree for me because a tree grows and develops when it is
Argon
43
Table 5. Distribution of subsequent views of students who defined university as “a personal development center” prior to
university entrance.
Prior to University Entrance
Code Metaphor
74
Shopping Center
121
Tree
Code
Metaphor
6
Small Earldom
7
Center of science
19
land of opportunities
51
A big door
75
Rainbow
84
Culture center
102
Lion
108
Shopping center
15
Research center
27
Home
40
Center of science
76
Center of education
16
Research center
60
Fair
73
Roof of a building
89
Center of art
32
Olympics
66
A massive world
68
World
97
Market
120
Chateau
107
Sport center
118
Hospital
123
Grand father
128
Laboratory
34
Summit point
Category
Personal
development
center
fed through the roots and I thought that the university is
fed through science and knowledge. But now I am here,
the university feels like a piece of stone for me. It is as
difficult to study at the university as it is difficult to break a
stone and see inside” and S 74 (T, Male) mentioned the
feelings of disappointment with the following statement:
“For me, the university resembled a shopping center
because I thought we could find anything related to
knowledge in there. But after I started the university, it is
like a deserted island now because it does not meet my
needs, I could not find what I expected”.
S 19 (SS; Female) who perceived university positively
subsequent to university entrance as a place that
professionally trains people mentioned that “I used to
regard the university as a land for opportunities because I
believed that all required opportunities to develop oneself
could be found at the university. I had no opportunities to
develop myself at the area where I lived. I still feel the
same after university entrance; I mean university still
Subsequent to University Entrance
Negative Change/Metaphor
Category
Deserted island
Disappointment
Stone
Hardship
Positive Change/Metaphor
Category
Station
Ship
Door to opportunity
Inn
Professional
Training
Field
Factory
Field
Field
City
Spider web
Kettle
School of life
Culture Palace
Social cultural foundation
Fruit garden
Rainbow
Scientific and technical box
Falling snow
Scientific and technical box
A temporary treasure
An old man
Amusement park
Game
Lego
House
Valley
Life example
Variety
Research
Happy environment
A new beginning
equals a door to opportunity for me. I can develop myself
as much as I like and I can be successful. I applied for
courses (computer, diction etc.) as soon as I started
university. Now I can attend courses”. S 40 (E, Female)
who regarded university as an example for life stated that
“It was like a science seat of science for me before
because I thought that universities are more informed.
Going to university felt like privilege to me. Since my
childhood, I studied by focusing on university entrance
because I thought that actual knowledge, life existed
there. But now university is like a kettle for me because in
my opinion, universities form the infrastructure of the real
life, just like the kettle is the infrastructure of brewing tea.
At the university, the tasks to be accomplished never end
just like in the real world. There is always something to
do. There are assignments, presentations or midterm or
final exams. We play the introduction part to our lives
here. We have the control both morally and materially”. S
73 (T, Female) emphasized cultural diversity in the
44
Educ. Res. Rev.
Table 6. Distribution of subsequent views of students who defined university as “a free environment” prior to university
entrance.
Prior to University Entrance
Metaphor
Statue of liberty
Home whose door opens
everywhere
71
Land of freedom
88
Land of freedom
116
Island of freedom
72
Statue of liberty
Code Metaphor
5
Kite
29
Disco
30
Land of freedom
56
Kite
18
Sky
58
A ball field
115
Forest
21
Cloud
92
Weather
38
Sky
94
Land of freedom
126
Land of freedom
Code
45
64
Category
A free
place
following statement: “University was like the roof of a
building for me before I came to university because the
roof represents a completed building. University is the
roof of our education; it is the last point in education. After
I started university, it is like a fruit garden for me. Just like
you can find a variety of fruits in a fruit garden, you can
find students from all cultures, all parts of the country at
the university. It (diversity) enriches the garden”. S 120
(C, Female) defined the university as a research center
with the following statement: “The University was like a
chateau for me. Do you want to know why? I thought that
there was a good education environment and high class
people with knowledge at the university just like in the
chateaus. After I started university, it is like an old man
for me. The old man may not have a great outward
appearance but he has a lot of knowledge, various areas
of interest and is a professional”.
A free environment
Six of the 18 students who previously perceived university
as a free place presented negative views subsequent to
university entrance (Table 6). Student views that display
disappointment are as follows: S 45 (E, Female):
“University was like the Statue of Liberty for me because
my friends at the university had talked of the place in very
different terms. I also thought that I was given the right to
do as I pleased since I was away from my parents.
Subsequent to University Entrance
Negative Change/Metaphor
Category
A small village
Empty box
Prison
Mirage
Deserted island
Foreign country
Positive Change/Metaphor
Culture Palace
Bag
Culture Palace
Aquarium
Mill
Bridge
Caramel
Military
Military
Rebirth
Birthday cake
Brake
Disappointment
Loneliness
Category
Variety
Professional
Training
Research
A new beginning
Life example
However, university is like a small village for me now
because the university I am in is still trying to develop
itself like children do in developmental stages and it still
has many shortcomings”; S 64 (E, Female): “I believed
university was like a house whose doors open
everywhere. University meant freedom in everything,
comfort and a safe environment for me. An environment
in which you are able to do anything and not held
accountable for them was not bad at all. But now I regard
university like an empty box. It has nice outward
appearance but it is empty inside. Only you can fill that
box. Otherwise there is no concept of university other
than that” and S 71 (T, Male): The University was like a
Land of freedom before I started university and I believed
I could do anything I want here. But now it is like a prison
for me because you cannot do as you please, you have
to do what your instructors want”.
Examination of student views with positive changes in
the perception of university as a free place points to
perceptions regarding university as a professional training
venue as found in following statements: S 18 (SS,
Female) mentioned that “University was like the sky for
me because people around me talked about university as
a place in which nobody would bother us and I could
move freely. Now I am here, the university is like a mill for
me. The mill ensures that the wheat is processed in the
form of flour to make bread and just like that, the
university is a tool to make us beneficial to society by
training us1. S 58 (E, Male) mentioned that “University
Argon
45
Table 7. Distribution of subsequent views of students who defined university as “a place with cultural diversity” prior to
university entrance.
Code
46
Prior to University Entrance
Metaphor
Category
Album
59
125
Code
4
80
23
17
83
91
28
43
104
124
96
World
Another planet
Metaphor
Flower garden
Metropolis
Rainbow
Ocean
Fair
City
Television
Culture center
Circus
Foreign land
Forest
Place with cultural
diversity
Subsequent to University Entrance
Negative Change/Metaphor
Category
Private teaching institution
environment
Disappointment
Prison
High school
Positive Change/Metaphor
Ladder
A new beginning
Step
Life coach
Life example
Door to opportunity
Vehicle
Professional training
Atelier
Mosaic
Museum
Variety
Circus
United Nations
House with a garden
A happy environment
was like a ball field for me because I thought I needed to
continue the game by myself with my own efforts. I
thought each score was for my own benefit. But now the
university is like a bridge for me because it will help me
attain the profession in my dreams”. S 126 (C, Female)
emphasized that university is the place where you learn
about life in the following statement: “University was
supposed to be the land of freedom. I thought of it as a
place away from parents, somewhere I can be with
friends all the time and in which you can do anything you
please but now university is like a brake for me because
you are learning to stop yourself although there is no one
to stop you”.
Place with cultural diversity
Views of three students from among the group of
students who perceived university as a place with cultural
diversity prior to university entrance changed for the
negative (Table 7). Expressions of following students
display disappointment. S 59 (E, Male): “University was
the world for me. I thought it to be different from primary
and secondary education with many individuals from
different cultures and believed the life was good at the
university. But now I am here, it is like a prison. Students
are coming to school in a bored state and they come only
to keep attendance” and S 125 (C; Male): “University was
like a different planet for me before I started university.
For me, there were different cultures and everything was
different. But after I started university it is like a high
school. There is nothing different from high school, it has
no specific characteristics. We had to do rote learning at
high school and it is the same here”.
Students whose positive ideas continued subsequent to
university entrance displayed diversifications in their
views. Students who regarded university as a place of
cultural diversity prior to university entrance and did not
change their views subsequently focused on cultural
diversity issues as found in the following statements. S
124 (C; Female): “University was like a foreign land
before I came because going to another province to study
and to meet different persons felt like that. But now I am
here the university is like the United Nations. There are
people from all provinces, all walks of life, from the east
and from the west. You get to know many individuals and
that is very good”, S 28 (SS; Male): “University was like
the television for me. As there are different programs in
television, there are different people and different ideas at
the university. It is now like a mosaic with different views,
different cultures, the integration of people from different
provinces, a cultural richness”. S 4 (SS, Female)
emphasized that the university is a new beginning in her
expressions: “University was like a flower garden before I
came because it felt like a place in which many cultures
lived together in harmony. But now I am here, it is like a
ladder because you start everything about life here”.
Vocational/professional center
There are 9 views expressing that university is a center
that provides vocational/professional training (Table 8).
One of these views changed negatively as found in the
46
Educ. Res. Rev.
Table 8. Distribution of subsequent views of students who defined university as “vocational/professional center” prior to
university entrance.
Code
127
Code
11
100
117
24
26
49
79
82
Prior to University Entrance
Metaphor
Category
Treasure
Metaphor
Crown of education
Pomegranate
Vocational/
Water
Professional
Factory
center
Bridge
Start Line
Dam
Factory
following statement that displays disappointment. S 127
(C; Male); “University was like treasure before I came
here. I thought all the people who would provide me with
information to get a profession were there. But now it is
like a sunken ship. You feel you would feel relaxed when
you get into university but when you realize that it is no
different from high school; you understand you are in a
sunken ship”.
Positive views expressing that the university is a center
to provide professional training continued positively
including also new expressions such as a happy
environment, professional training center and research
center. S 26 (SS; Female) who continued to uphold the
same view of university as a professional training center
stated that “It was like a bridge for me before I started
university because I cannot do my dream job without
getting sufficient training about it at the university. I need
to store some things in my brain in spite of all the
knowledge I already have. That’s why university is the
preparation for my profession in one sense. It is still like a
bridge for me now because university means doing good
things and storing knowledge. I believe that the more I
develop myself here, the more successful I will become in
the future. S 79 (T, Male) emphasized that the university
is a place of research and study in the following
statement: “University reminded me of a dam before I
started university. Just like a dam transforming incoming
water to energy, the university provides students with
professions with the help of the training provided there.
But now I am here, it is like a library. University is an
actual house of science”.
RESULT, DISCUSSION AND SUGGESTIONS
Categories regarding university
Although demands for universities which have crucial
impact on shaping individuals’ future professions, careers,
Subsequent to University Entrance
Negative Change/Metaphor
Category
Sunken ship
Disappointment
Positive Change/Metaphor
Land of wonders
Family
Happy environment
Rose garden
Jug
Professional
Bridge
Training
Travel agency
Library
Scientific technical box
Research
income levels, statuses, life standards and social lives
are increasing day by day, having a profession is getting
more and more difficult in Turkey as well as employment
conditions and in the meantime, inade-quacies of
universities to meet the demands are causing student
accumulation during university entrance process. In
addition to these, the university entrance exams that
require a lengthy and tiresome preparation process
cause negative impact on the youth. Therefore,
universities are perceived by students as institutions that
are hard to get into. Student perceptions about university
prior to university entrance such as “place where hard
work is rewarded, place that is difficult to reach, personal
development center, a free place, culture center and
vocational/professional center” shows that. Studies in the
literature also emphasize characteristics of universities
such as preparing for life, personal development-maturity,
transfer of knowledge-education, social and cultural
activities, variety, transformation and production centers,
tools, social learning and sharing, a family environment,
entertaining environment, freedom, a place to experience
various cultures, necessity, hard/boring/negative environments, disappointment and sadness (Dalgıç et al., 2012;
Bozdemir and Uluman, 2012; Konaklı and Göğüş, 2013).
One of the salient findings is the fact that professional/
vocational employment opportunities provided by
universities were mentioned as a last item prior to
university whereas they were cited as the first item upon
entrance. This finding may be related to the fact that
students regard universities as difficult to get into and
focus on studying before they start focusing on their
functions as providers of employment opportunities.
Students believe that they will be rewarded for their hard
work after going through this challenging process to get
into university. Diversifications were observed in
students’ views subsequent to university entrance. The
most often repeated views subsequent to university
entrance included perceptions of universities as
professional/vocational centers and also the existence of
Argon
feelings of disappointment. The fact that professional/
vocational employment opportunities provided by
universities were mentioned as a last item prior to
university whereas they were cited as the first item upon
entrance shows that students became aware of this
function of universities got they became disappointed
since they could not meet their expectations there.
Students also considered the university as a culture
center, research place, a happy environment, a new
beginning, life example, loneliness and hardship
subsequent to university. Comparison of the conceptual
categories for “before and after” university entrance
shows that all prior perceptions regarding universities are
positive, which is an interesting finding. This may be
related to the positive mission attributed to universities by
students and the society. However, some of the positive
perceptions turned into negative perceptions subsequent
to university entrance and the university was defined as
disappointment, loneliness and hardship. This finding
may be related to the inadequacy of universities to fully
meet student expectations as well as the necessity to live
in a different environment for the first time by leaving their
families and face some problems for the first time on their
own. In their study conducted on high school students’
perceptions regarding university, Korkmaz and Bağçeci
(2013) similarly found the categories of a place with
different characteristics, a process, future, cultural
diversity and pessimism.
Common characteristics of universities
One of the categories formed in line with the most often
used metaphors regarding perceptions (heaven, lush
prairie, culture center, sky, holiday village etc.) is the
place where hard work is rewarded. This finding shows
that students define the university as a place they will
receive the reward of hard work after a lengthy and
challenging process of preparation. Although it was
identified that previously positive views continued to be
positive, some negative changes were observed due to
the use of metaphors related to disappointment such as
empty box, nightmare, prison and village and some
students were disappointed. This and similar findings
may be regarded as indicators that show universities
cannot meet the expectations of students. Students with
positive views diversified their views subsequent to
university entrance and different characteristics of universities previously regarded as places where hard work is
rewarded were started to be used such as research
(camp, short cut etc.), life example (farm, sky), variety
(world, potpourri), a happy environment (pigeonhole,
above the clouds), professional training (atelier, mill,
factory) and a new beginning (bridge of transition, a
second world). Universities should be institutions that
contribute to student development and transformation,
make them happy to be there and accommodate varieties
that will allow work and study options and present
47
different environments in addition to providing students
with employment opportunities. Findings obtained in the
study can be regarded as indicators that universities
provide students with these opportunities, although they
do not provide all the opportunities mentioned above.
Another category often mentioned by students prior to
university entrance was found to be place that is difficult
to reach. Intensive use of metaphors such as castle,
Mount Kaf, summit of Himalayas and steel door shows
the fact that students regard the university as a place
whose entrance is difficult to achieve prior to university
entrance. Some of the views regarding university as a
difficult place to reach were changed for the negative
subsequent to university entrance. Loneliness (a foreign
country), hardship (a challenging race track), and
disappointment caused by reasons such as not finding
what they hoped for (low wall, corn poopy) point to this
fact. Disappointment may be caused by negative
experiences other than not finding what they hoped for
such as feelings of loneliness and emptiness because
most students at university have left their homes and
families for the first time and are alone in a foreign
environment and have to live with strangers. This
situation can cause undesired feelings such as loneliness
in many students. The reasons of disappointment are
varied based on both individual and institutional characteristics. Therefor universities should focus on not
causing disappointment in students and they should be
able to meet their academic, social, cultural and psychological expectations. Students’ views that continued to be
positive were also diversified subsequent to university
entrance. These students mentioned university characteristics such as variety (wheel of fortune, world, aquarium),
research (data bank, library), and vocational/professional
training (furniture atelier, field). When the metaphors
used and the categories created are taken into
consideration it can be argued that positive perceptions
regarding the functions (providing employment opportunities, research and doing science, provision of social
development) of universities are ongoing.
The negative changes in the views of students who
considered universities to be personal development
centers with metaphors such as center of science,
education, art, sports and research are almost nonexistent subsequent to university entrance. Two students
changed their views negatively and defined the university
as a disappointment (deserted island) and hardship
(stone). Students whose views continued to be positive
defined universities as professional/vocational center (door
to opportunity, factory), life example (spider web, school
of life), variety (culture palace, fruit garden), research
(scientific/technical box, old man), happy environment
(amusement park, home) and a new begging (valley).
These findings show that positive perceptions of students
who regarded the university as a personal development
center continued subsequent to entrance and not only
does the university undertake this function but it
diversifies it.
48
Educ. Res. Rev.
Prior to university entrance, 18 students defined
university as a free place by using metaphors such as
land of freedom, statue of liberty, island of freedom, kite
and sky. The land of freedom metaphor is the most
frequently used metaphor. This finding shows that
university is regarded as a place free from responsibilities
where all dreams come true. The task of universities is to
educate individuals who consider the world from a wide
perspective and who knows how to earn and keep their
freedom (Gökçe, 1990). The university entrance examination process which requires preparation not only
causes them to limit themselves in many respects but
also stay away from social life and many activities that
will add color to their lives. Stress to pass or fail the exam
results in a more difficult process for students. In this
context universities are like the keys to freedom for
students who are restricted from various activities. The
fact that students who start university stay by themselves
can also be regarded as freedom. Universities, representatives of scientific research and freedom, are
massive organizations that include a wide variety of
students and staff. Ongoing news about universities by
the media and communication channels and the fact that
students are faced with such information regarding the
characteristics of universities may have caused this
perception of universities as a place of freedom. The
perception of universities as a place of freedom
continued subsequent to university entrance in the form
of variety (culture palace, aquarium), professional/
vocational training (mill, bridge), study/research (military)
and a new beginning (rebirth, birthday cake). However,
five students provided negative views subsequent to
university entrance and defined the university as a
disappointment (empty box, prison) and loneliness
(foreign country).
Three of the 14 students who defined university as
cultural diversity with the use of metaphors such as
album, flower garden, ocean and fair prior to university
entrance displayed negative views subsequent to
university entrance and defined it as a disappointment
(prison, high school). Views that continued to be positive
subsequent to university entrance were diversified in the
form of a new beginning (ladder, step), life example (life
coach), professional/vocational training (door to
opportunity, atelier), variety (mosaic, museum) and a
happy environment (house with a garden).
The perception regarding the professional/vocational
training function of university identified with the
metaphors such as crown of education, treasure and dam
prior to university entrance is infrequently observed (n=9).
There is one student whose positive views changed
towards negative and who defined the university as a
disappointment. Positive views regarding the university
as a professional vocational center continued positively
subsequent to university entrance as a happy environment
(land of wonders, family), professional/vocational training
(jug, bridge) and a place of research (scientific/technical
box, library). Although universities are perceived as
intuitions that first and foremost provide employment
opportunities (Ceylan, 2008) it is a positive development
to identify other functions of universities as well because
the only function attributed to universities shouldn’t be
related to employment opportunities.
Suggestions developed in line with research findings
are as follows:
The reasons why positive students’ perceptions prior to
university entrance changed negatively to disappointment, loneliness and hardship should be investigated.
Necessary precautions should be taken by the
universities so that feelings such as disappointment,
loneliness and hardship are not experienced. Programs
may be developed to present universities to high school
students, instructors can be invited as experts and
informative trips to nearby universities can be organized.
Metaphors obtained in the study may be used as
supporting tools by universities that want to renew
themselves in making sense of their culture and their
standings.
Conflict of Interests
The author has not declared any conflict of interests.
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