Metaphorical Perceptions of University Students Regarding Distance Education During Crisis

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine university students' metaphorical perceptions of distance education during crisis. The study group consists of 239 students enrolled in the Faculty of Education at a public university during the 2021-2022 academic year. The phenomenological model, one of the qualitative research designs, was used in this research. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview form containing the prompt “Distance education is like ........ because .........” A total of 227 metaphors created by the participants were analyzed using content analysis, leading to the formation of categories and themes. Accordingly, the metaphors were grouped into three main themes reflecting the participants' positive, negative, and partially positive and partially negative perceptions of distance education during crisis. Metaphors reflecting positive perceptions of distance education during crisis were categorized into three groups: "positive expectation and sense of responsibility," "ease of access to information," and "adaptation to change." Metaphors reflecting negative perceptions were grouped into five categories: "inefficiency," "loneliness and exclusion," "struggling with challenges," "sense of burnout," and "systemic deficiencies." Lastly, metaphors containing both positive and negative perceptions were grouped into a single category under the theme of "state of indecision." It was determined that the majority of participants had predominantly negative perceptions of distance education during crisis. Based on these findings, recommendations were made for planning the learning-teaching process in detail, adopting instructional approaches that require active participation, and increasing interaction to provide students with an effective learning experience in distance education during crises.