DETERMINATION OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS' METAPHORICAL PERCEPTIONS OF THE CONCEPT OF ‘LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE’

Abstract

Throughout our lives, as we communicate, we constantly learn new and different concepts. We then
try to mentally concretize these concepts. If this process is carried out by drawing similarities with
the knowledge we already possess, it progresses smoothly. However, if we attempt to associate
them with concepts we are unfamiliar with, this process can be challenging and exhausting. This
research was conducted to reveal the perceptions of undergraduate university students regarding the
concept of "Landscape Architecture" through the use of metaphors. A total of 213 students from 14
different undergraduate departments participated in the study. The aim of the research is to uncover
the perceptions of undergraduate university students regarding the profession of "Landscape
Architecture" through metaphors. In this study, the phenomenological design, a qualitative research
method, was used. Through a form containing questions for undergraduate students, they were
asked to complete statements like "Landscape Architecture means ............ to me. Because .........."
The content analysis technique was employed for analyzing the collected data. As a result of the
research, participating university students generated 75 metaphors for the profession of "Landscape
Architecture." These metaphors were grouped considering common attributes, yielding 9 main
metaphors. The predominant perception of landscape architecture among university students from
different departments emphasized themes of nature and design.