Classroom Teacher Candidates' Metaphoric Perceptions Regarding the Concepts of Reading and Writing: A Comparative Analysis

The purpose of this study is to determine and compare candidate classroom teachers' metaphoric perceptions about reading and writing. The study was conducted with teacher candidates who were studying at Ömer Halisdemir University's Department of Elementary Education in Nigde/Turkey during 2016-2017 academic year. A total of 266 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade candidate classroom teachers participated in the study. The study design was organized according to phenomenological design. According to the study findings, teacher candidates created 23 metaphoric categories in reading, 17 in writing and 15 in both reading and writing. The most categories developed by classroom candidate teachers on the concept of reading is necessity. As to writing; the most categories developed by classroom candidate teachers on the concept of writing is on expressing feelings. The category with the least metaphor about writing concept is the negativity and watching. The common metaphors used by the classroom teacher candidates regarding the concepts of reading and writing are mostly gathered in the categories of water and its derivatives and life. Whereas the category with the least common metaphors about is infinity. Another result of the research is that the teacher candidates produce a more negative number of metaphorical concepts in the writing concept. Metaphors on the concept of writing are outpouring, effusion and the man himself. As a result, metaphors can be used as a research tool to determine teacher candidates' perceptions and opinions about reading and writing.