Research Article

Preschool Children's Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs

Volume: 26 Number: 1 March 25, 2026
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Preschool Children's Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs

Abstract

Natural disasters constitute profoundly disruptive phenomena that exert severe psychological and social consequences, with children representing one of the most vulnerable groups to such traumatic experiences. The principal aim of this study is to investigate how children conceptualize earthquakes and examine the affective and cognitive dimensions of their responses through metaphoric expressions. We conducted this research with a sample of seventy-two children, aged between forty-eight and seventy-two months, enrolled in preschools in Ankara during the 2023–2024 academic year. We collected the data through the "Earthquake Metaphor Analysis Form," a research instrument designed and validated by the investigators for this study. We presented semi-structured prompts embedded within the form to children and documented their responses verbatim. We subsequently subjected the resulting corpus of data to descriptive and content analyses, with particular attention to categories such as colors, musics, animals, plants, seasons, emotions, and temporal constructs. We observed that children most frequently associated earthquakes with earth tones and colors that conveyed death and fear, particularly red and black. When we analyzed their responses concerning music, we found that children often expressed the idea that earthquakes represent "different music" or that "earthquake is not music." In the category of animals, we observed that children most commonly compared earthquakes to "wild animals." When considering plants, we identified that children frequently described earthquakes as "grass." Regarding seasons, we noted that children most often likened earthquakes to "winter." Regarding emotions, we observed that children primarily associated earthquakes with negative feelings such as fear, anger, and sadness, though some children also connected the experience to "happiness." Finally, in the temporal domain, we found that children most often described earthquakes in relation to "daytime." Our findings demonstrate that children construct metaphoric associations between earthquakes and negative emotions, framing the event as a frightening experience.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Early Childhood Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 25, 2026

Submission Date

April 15, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 10, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 26 Number: 1

APA
Yavuz, S., & Öğretir Özçelik, A. D. (2026). Preschool Children’s Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 26(1), 19-42. https://doi.org/10.17240/aibuefd.2026..-1676927
AMA
1.Yavuz S, Öğretir Özçelik AD. Preschool Children’s Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs. BAİBÜEFD. 2026;26(1):19-42. doi:10.17240/aibuefd.2026.-1676927
Chicago
Yavuz, Selin, and Ayşe Dilek Öğretir Özçelik. 2026. “Preschool Children’s Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs”. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 26 (1): 19-42. https://doi.org/10.17240/aibuefd.2026. -1676927.
EndNote
Yavuz S, Öğretir Özçelik AD (March 1, 2026) Preschool Children’s Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 26 1 19–42.
IEEE
[1]S. Yavuz and A. D. Öğretir Özçelik, “Preschool Children’s Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs”, BAİBÜEFD, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 19–42, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.17240/aibuefd.2026..-1676927.
ISNAD
Yavuz, Selin - Öğretir Özçelik, Ayşe Dilek. “Preschool Children’s Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs”. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi 26/1 (March 1, 2026): 19-42. https://doi.org/10.17240/aibuefd.2026. -1676927.
JAMA
1.Yavuz S, Öğretir Özçelik AD. Preschool Children’s Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs. BAİBÜEFD. 2026;26:19–42.
MLA
Yavuz, Selin, and Ayşe Dilek Öğretir Özçelik. “Preschool Children’s Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs”. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, vol. 26, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 19-42, doi:10.17240/aibuefd.2026. -1676927.
Vancouver
1.Selin Yavuz, Ayşe Dilek Öğretir Özçelik. Preschool Children’s Perceptions of The Concept of Earthquake: A Metaphor Analysıs. BAİBÜEFD. 2026 Mar. 1;26(1):19-42. doi:10.17240/aibuefd.2026. -1676927