AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS REGARDING ARMENIAN DEPORTATION
This study aims to reveal how preservice social sciences teachers perceive the concept of “Armenian Deportation”. To this end, the metaphors developed by the preservice teachers regarding the relevant concept, the pictures/cartoons they drew, and the data obtained from the interview form were analyzed. This is a qualitative study with a survey model. Qualitative research techniques that are convenient for triangulation data collection (i.e. data collection through metaphors, semi-structured interview, and document analysis) were used together. The study group consists of fourth-year students attending the Division of Social Sciences Education of Faculty of Education of Gazi University during the 2014-2015 academic year. The students were selected via maximum variation sampling method. There were 92 female and 88 male students in the study group. Content analysis was employed to analyze and interpret the data. For validity and reliability, expert opinion was taken to determine whether the metaphors included in the conceptual categories reached in the study represented these conceptual categories. The participants’ metaphor lists and the lists including conceptual categories were examined by the experts. Then the categories created by the researcher and the criticisms made by the experts were compared. The number of agreements and the number of disagreements were determined. The reliability of the study was calculated via Miles and Huberman’s (1994) formula. The data were analyzed by the researcher. The metaphors created for the relevant concept by the students, the reasons underlying those metaphors, and the pictures/cartoons corresponding to the reasons and the concept were examined together with the expert, and they were classified as similar pictures/cartoons, different pictures/cartoons, and no pictures/cartoons. At the end of the study, the participants’ metaphors developed in relation to “Armenian Deportation” were categorized under four titles, which are “Overcoming a Disturbing Situation”, “Untrue Event”, “Inevitable Event”, and “Abusing the Trust”. Based on the results of the study, it is recommended for the concept of “Armenian Deportation” to be addressed with an interdisciplinary approach in undergraduate social sciences courses, those focusing on the twentieth century being in the first place.

Keywords
Perception, Armenian Deportation, preservice teachers, social sciences education.