Elementary and Middle School Students’ Perception of Homeland through Metaphors

Individuals and societies continue and end their lives within the framework of values. One of the most important of these values is the concept of homeland. Homeland refers to the land, where the individuals were born and live in, a piece of which may also be owned by such individuals. The concept of homeland is always given utmost importance in the curricula. In this context, it is important to determine the perceptions of elementary and middle school students towards the concept of homeland in order for foreseeing the love they felt for, and the importance they attach to, the geography they live in. In this study, it is aimed to reveal what students understand from the concept of homeland through metaphors. Phenomenology pattern, one of the qualitative research patterns, was used in this research. The study group of the research comprises 580 students. “Convenience sampling” was used in sample selection. In this study, elementary and middle school students were given a form of incomplete sentences in the following format of “Homeland is like ............... Because .................” as a data collection tool, and then they were asked to write their opinions by filling the blanks. The results of the study revealed that the participants expressed a total of 59 metaphors in relation to the concept of homeland. Based on the metaphors developed by students for the concept of "homeland", 7 categories were created. These categories are; Administration, Vitality, Concrete Object, National Value, Security, Value, Social Environment. The results of the study indicate that particular attention should be paid to the synonyms of the word “Homeland”. It would be useful to organize certain activities in order to create a sense of belonging and national awareness among the students.


Introduction
Teachers need to have the students to properly comprehend the nature of the lesson they teach in order to get the students to adopt the desired attitude and behavior. This can only be achieved by correctly instilling the nature of the lesson that is to be taught to the students (Cepni, 2014). Considering today's understanding of education; the purpose of education is to teach meaningful information, which can be utilized in daily life, rather than to teach information, which is only stored in students' memories. This requires the continuous updating of the education systems within the framework of environmental conditions (Ministry of Education, 2013). New definitions and generalizations are being made within the context of changing conditions. The exact determinability of the similarities and differences imply that the event, situation or object has been comprehended. Concepts are used to distinguish similar events, objects, people, thoughts and processes from others, and to establish relationships with other groups, entities, events, ideas and processes (Akkus et al., 2016).
It is seen as an appropriate and valid way to embody the concepts that are desired to be taught and to teach the new concepts by associating them with the concepts that the students already know (Levine, 2005). What matters here is the fact that the abstract concepts should be embodied. Metaphors can be utilized in embodying such abstract concepts. The point that should not be forgotten here is that in the case of mislearning, students may make false comparisons when using metaphors as well (Coskun, 2010). So what is a metaphor? "Metapherein", which is formed by the combination of the Greek words "meta" and "pherein", means to change and transfer (Levine, 2005). Based on these words, metaphor can be considered as a symbolic language structure that connects two objects or concepts (Meral et al., 2016). Lakoff and Johnson (2003), on the other hand, stated that the metaphor is common not only in language but also in thought and action in daily life, and the terms we use to think and act are in fact metaphorical in nature. Metaphors allow creation of mental pictures of an event, object or story, which would otherwise require the use of thousands of words to describe, and as such they can become extremely powerful communication tools (Sackmann, 1989). The concept of metaphor, which we can express as the symbolization of thought in the language, changes in parallel to the interaction of the individual with his/her social and physical environment (Kocoglu et al., 2014;Saban, 2004). The concepts that shape our thoughts affect not only mental processes, but also our daily performance, our perception of our environment and our interaction with others (Ahmady et al., 2016).
Exploring metaphors can enable us to examine how people think and perceive. Metaphor acts as a tool to describe a person's awareness and experiences (Neuman & Guterman, 2017). Metaphors, which can be considered as a powerful tool in understanding and explaining an abstract and complex phenomenon and as a powerful symbol in language, enable individuals to develop an understanding utilizing the known concepts in making sense of, and explaining, unknown phenomena by making comparisons and drawing analogies with concrete or experienced facts (Balci, 2003;Gecit & Gencer., 2011;Ocak & Gunduz, 2006;Saban et al., 2006). In fact, metaphor is a tool for intellectual language and imagination for many people. Moreover, metaphor is typically seen only as a linguistic characteristic, that is, not as a matter of thought and movement but as a matter of words (Arslan & Bayrakci, 2006). The use of metaphors in understanding and explaining a new phenomenon reveals their function in facilitating the learning of information (Alpaslan & Kutanis, 2007). People perceive the world they live in differently according to their ages, interests, educational levels and the physical and social environment they live in (Meral et al, 2016;Tuncel, 2002). For this reason, the metaphors developed in the face of an event or object may differ from each other. Metaphors are also widely used in the field of education, and are frequently resorted to by educators in teaching certain concepts and topics (Degirmenci, 2019a). If we are aiming to change individuals in the desired direction through education, it is important to know what these metaphors are in order to be able to create a road map. But why? Because even just one word is very important in communication. For example, the words "aptal" (means stupid in English) and "abdal" (means wandering dervish in English) are very similar in terms of spelling and pronunciation (Tosun, 2017). For this reason, they are confused with one another. From this point of view, it is necessary and important to know the concepts that are desired to be taught to the students, what these concepts inspire or what perception they create in students.
When the goals of today's education are considered, one of its most important goals is to pass down the desired values to the individuals in order to ensure the continuity of the state and the order of the society (Bacanli, 2006). When looking for an answer to the questions of to whom and when the said desired values are to be taught, firstly the family and secondly the schools come to mind. In that regard, the important responsibility of formally sustaining the education in unity and harmony falls to the schools. Carrying out studies on teaching values to children in particular conforms with the proverb of "as the twig is bent so is the tree inclined" (Bolay, 2007).
Values refer to the unity of beliefs what makes people human and separates them from other living beings and enables them to direct their lives (Ulusoy & Dilmac, 2014). Individuals and societies continue and end their lives within the framework of values. Values lead people to establish such criteria that even death becomes meaningful when evaluated on the basis of these criteria. Being martyred for the homeland, which undoubtedly arises from the love felt for the homeland, can be considered in this context (Ozensel, 2014). Homeland is the land referred to as the hometown by these individuals (Sutcu, 2004), the land where these individuals create a common culture, to which these individuals are connected with historical ties and are responsible for protecting (Gomleksiz & Oner, 2016). The concept of homeland is always given utmost importance in the curricula. In this regard, one of the most important goals of the Social Studies course, which has an important place in both primary and secondary school curricula, is to raise an effective and responsible citizen. In this context, it is important to determine the perceptions of elementary and middle school students towards the concept of homeland in order for foreseeing the love they felt for, and the importance they attach to, the geography they live in. As a reason, the concept of homeland is directly related to patriotism as a value.
"The child's intelligence until the age of 12 comprises only "tangible" processes, in other words, it is directed only at the truth itself and at concrete objects that are particularly prone to be utilized and which fit real experiences" (Piaget, 2000, as cited in Tunkler et al., 2016. Based on this determination of Piaget, the students comprehend the concrete concepts as they tend to learn through their sensory organs, whereas they have difficulty in comprehending the abstract concepts. Thus, different ways and methods should be employed. Metaphors for example enable the child to create a perception that is his/her own and to make sense of the situation or event he/she encounters. How accurate is it? This is an important question for which an answer should be sought. The aim of this research is to search for the answer to this question within the framework of the social studies course, as it aims to get the individual to know himself and then his/her environment and to adapt to the society.

Research Method
Phenomenology pattern, one of the qualitative research patterns, was used in this study. Phenomenology studies are carried out to examine the cases, which the scientists are aware of but do not have sufficient information (Yildirim & Simsek, 2016

Study Group
The study group of the research comprises 580 students that are studying in the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades in Northern Cyprus during the 2019-2020 academic year. "Convenience sampling" was used in sample selection. Information about the study group is provided in the , and then they were asked to write their opinions by filling the blanks. The form also includes a personal information section where primary school students can express their grade levels. The students were given sufficient amount of time to fill the forms.

Analyzing of Data
Content analysis method was used to study the data obtained. Content analysis method aims to identify the data and to reveal the facts that may be hidden within the data (Yildirim & Simsek, 2016). The data obtained within the scope of this study were arranged and interpreted on the basis of the related research available in the literature (Degirmenci, 2019b;Saban, 2009) on the metaphors that have been expressed by the participants of this study. In the first stage of the research, metaphors about the concept of homeland have been listed in alphabetical order. In the second stage, the metaphors developed by the students were studied paying attention to whether the relationship between the metaphors and their justifications makes sense. At this stage, some forms, which did not include any justification for any metaphor or were left blank, were not evaluated. 76 of the 580 forms were excluded from the evaluation as they were not filled in line with the purpose of the study, and 504 forms were evaluated as a result. After the forms were sorted out, metaphors were rearranged in alphabetical order and sample metaphor expressions were selected. Information about who produced the metaphor expressions was given by coding such information in parentheses. For example, in the phrase (GI9-5), the letter G represents the place, where the form was administered (GI-Girne, G-Guzelyurt, L-Nicosia), the first number given represents the participant's order in the list, whereas the second number represents the class level of the participant (4th, 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grade).
The metaphors were categorized on the basis of the justifications provided for the respective metaphors. The common characteristics of the metaphors expressed in relation to the concept of Homeland were evaluated and they were categorized on that respect. When the perspectives of students about the concept of Homeland were evaluated, a total of 7 different categories were created:

Validity and Reliability
After the creation of categories for the data obtained in the study, a checklist, which includes the metaphors developed by the students and the respective justifications, was created. The checklist has been sent to a specialist and has been revised on the basis of the feedback provided by the specialist. After the number of consensus and dissensus were determined by comparing the checklist revised on the basis of the feedback provided by the specialist and the list created by the researchers; the reliability of the study was calculated using the following formula; Reliability=number of agreements/number of agreements + disagreements (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The reliability of the study was calculated as 0.91 as a result of the analysis made on the categories created for the concept of Homeland.

Categorical Distribution of Metaphors Developed for the Concept of Homeland
Based on the metaphors developed by students for the concept of "homeland", 7 categories were created. These categories are; "Administration, Vitality, Concrete Object, National Value, Security, Value, Social Environment".

Category of Administration
Students expressed a total of 7 metaphors that were categorized under the "administration" category with regards to the "homeland" concept. When the justifications of using these metaphors in respect of the "homeland" concept were studied, it was seen that the students associated the concept of homeland with metaphors related to administration. These metaphors in the order of frequency of use are as follows; and National Anthem (f = 1).
Examples of the metaphors included in this category are given below: (L42-7.) "Homeland is like a country. Because it's where we live." (G14-8.) "Homeland is like the president. Because the president represents our nation, that is, the homeland." (GI16-5.) "Homeland is like an army. Everyone helps everyone and they are so many of them." (GI9-5.) "Homeland is like democracy. Because homeland also means democracy." (L30-5.) "Homeland is like the national anthem. Because it's about freedom."

Category of Vitality
Students expressed a total of 11 metaphors that were categorized under the "vitality" category with regards to the "homeland" concept. When the justifications of using these metaphors in respect of the "homeland" concept were studied, it was seen that the students associated the concept of homeland with essential metaphors (Spirit, Blood, Heart). These metaphors in the order of frequency of use are as follows; The place we live in (f=20), Spirit (f=12), The world (f=7), Everything (f= 6), A very beautiful thing (f=4), Life (f= 3), Heart (f= 3), Tree (f= 3), Sun (f=3), Flower (f= 3) and Brain (f=1).
Sample sentences containing metaphors included in the category of vitality are given below: (L146-7.) "Homeland is like where we live. Because you have to fulfill your responsibilities, you need to learn." (GI50-5.)"Homeland is like our spirit. Because it is our native country where we can take refuge and trust." (GI123-4.) "Homeland is like a heart. Because everyone is a brother to each other." (GI41-8.) "I compare the homeland to a brain. You can see the brain on the X-ray, but if it is hollow, it is not going to do what is expected from its concrete form." Some students could not produce a specific metaphor for the concept of "Homeland", and they described this concept with general expressions such as "everything (f = 6)" and "it is a very beautiful thing (f = 4)".

Category of Concrete Object
Students expressed a total of 4 metaphors that were categorized under the "concrete object" category with regards to the "homeland" concept. These metaphors in the order of frequency of use are as follows; Gold (f=2), School (f=2), Paper (f=1), and Lego (f=1).

Category of National Value
Students expressed a total of 10 metaphors that were categorized under the "national value" category with regards to the "homeland" concept. When the justifications of using these metaphors in respect of the "homeland" concept were studied, it was seen that the students associated the concept of homeland with national values that also form social values and hold the society together. These metaphors in the order of frequency of use are as follows; Land (f=49), Spirit (f=12), Flag (f=22), Nation (f=16), Ataturk (f=11), Native country (f=11), Hometown (f=3), Turkish flag (f=3), Ancestor (f=2) and The source of our language and race (f=1).
It is worth noting that some of the expressions included in this category indicate that students have misconceptions in respect of the concepts in question. For example: (GI44-5.) "Homeland is like a nation. Because the synonym of the homeland is the nation." The participant, who expressed the above sentence, developed the nation metaphor with respect to the concept of homeland. Another noteworthy issue is that the concept of native country evoked the concept of homeland in students, which is why some used them interchangeably.
(L70-4.) "Homeland is like a native country. Because it is the land we live on." It was observed that some participants had difficulty in expressing metaphors even though they were willing to express them. Other sample sentences containing metaphors included in the category of national value are given below: (F58-6.) "Homeland is like Ataturk. Because everyone has to respect the homeland. Because the homeland is a gift to us from Ataturk." (GI26-5.) "Homeland is like Ataturk. Because whenever we read an anthem, a ballad or a song, Ataturk is mentioned, and we take an oath for Ataturk." (L174-7.) "Homeland is like a Turkish flag. Because it is our chastity." (L70-4.) "Homeland is like a native country. Because it is the land we live on." (GI134-4) "Homeland is like the place where our language and race come from. Because homeland is where Turkishness and the Turkish language come from."

Category of Security
Students expressed a total of 7 metaphors that were categorized under the "security" category with regards to the "homeland" concept. These metaphors in the order of frequency of use are as follows; Home (f=57), Soldier (f=18), War (f=13), Peace (f=9), Protection (f=5), Martyr (f=5), and Half rotten apple (f=1). When the justifications of using these metaphors in respect of the "homeland" concept were studied, it was seen that the students perceived the "homeland" from the perspective of living in safety, and they thus perceived it as a place that is fought for, for which blood is shed, which serve as a roof for people, and where people take shelter and get protected.
Sample sentences containing metaphors included in this category are given below: (G44-8.) "We need home to take shelter, and we wouldn't have a place to take shelter if we didn't have a homeland. We are all under one roof in our homes. Just as we are under one flag in our homeland." (GI80-7.) "Homeland is like our home…I mean we cannot live in an unfamiliar place or country; that is to say we can't feel comfortable. I think of my homeland as my home and a foreign country as a place, where I am a guest." (G20-8.) "Homeland is like a house made of toothpicks. Because if one piece goes down, it will collapse all together." (G10-8.) "Homeland is like home. Because in your home, in the place where you know is safe, you know that you will feel comfortable. So is the homeland. You don't feel alienated when you're home. When you go to someone else's house, you feel uncomfortable and feel like a stranger. Just like when you go to another homeland." (G8-8.) "I think homeland is like a war that is won by martyrs and veterans, who have fought for the country." (GI37-5.) "Homeland is like a soldier. Because soldiers protect the homeland." (GI92-4.) "Homeland is like war. Because that comes to my mind first. Soldiers go to war for the homeland." (GI29-5.) "Homeland is like a half rotten apple. Because if traitors have infiltrated a country, they will, of course, infiltrate our region."

Category of Value
Students expressed a total of 14 metaphors that were categorized under the "value" category with regards to the "homeland" concept. In this category, it was seen that students expressed the concept of homeland by using metaphors that express emotion and that attach importance and value to the concept of homeland. These metaphors in the order of frequency of use are as follows; Affection-Respect (f=27), Brotherhood (f=7), Freedom (f=7), Patriotism (f=7), Unity (f=6), Fellowship (f=6), Love (f=4), Goodness (f=4), Heaven (f=3), Benevolence (f=3), Happiness (f=2), Chastity (f=2), Allegiance (f=1), and Tranquility (f=2).
Sample sentences containing metaphors included in this category are given below: (GI13-5.) "Homeland is like love. Because we must protect our homeland." (GI125-4.) "Homeland is like goodness and love. Because homeland is like the love we always experience." (L142-5.) "Homeland is like happiness. Because if everyone is happy, the homeland will be better." (L82-7.) "Homeland is like love. Because it is like the love you feel for your parents and family, it is unique. You love it more than anything."

Category of Social Environment
Students expressed a total of 6 metaphors that were categorized under the "social environment" category with regards to the "homeland" concept. In this category, students have developed metaphors by associating the concept of homeland with the people or other living things around them. These metaphors in the order of frequency of use are as follows; Family (f=31), Person (f=29), Mother-Father (f=11), Society (f=10), Animal (f=3), and Child (f=2).
Sample sentences containing metaphors included in this are given below: (F53-6.) "An animal is pure and clean and I think it has a clean heart. As it is the case when we look after the animals, since they also look after us in return. Homeland is something like that. In fact, if we love and protect our homeland and work for our homeland, it will eventually become a loving place." (G43-6.) "Homeland is like a family. Because it gathers each individual under its roof and those individuals have common values." (G30-6.) "Our homeland and nation are made up of a community of people. If there is no human community, we cannot have a homeland or a nation." (F87-6.) "Homeland is like a person. Because every homeland has different perspectives. No homeland is the same, but it can also change by looking elsewhere. It can get better or worse. Like a person, a homeland cannot change much on its own as well, but it seeks help from others." (G26-8.) "Homeland is like a community of people. Because people are happy when they live together in a place where everyone is equal and there is justice." (GI54-5.) "Homeland is like good people... Like a place without bad people."

Discussion
The study of metaphors developed by the students in respect of the homeland revealed that the students mostly used the concepts of "home", "land" and "family". Homeland was commonly defined as a piece of land or the land where people live and grow up, whereas during the times of the old Turks it was defined as the land owned by a community of close families living in tents (Sutcu, 2004). Previous research indicates (Er-Turkuresin, 2018;Gomleksiz & Oner, 2016) on the use of metaphors of middle school students for the concept of homeland, it was determined that students mostly developed the metaphors of "home" and "family". At this point, it can be said that the primary education students both in Northern Cyprus and Turkey develop similar metaphors.
The words that are used synonymously with "homeland" in the Turkish language are "yurt (native country)", "toprak (land)", "memalik-i mahrusa (protected lands)" and "memalik-i sahane (lands of the sultan)". On the other hand, the words that are used synonymously with "homeland" in Western languages are "home", "motherland", "fatherland" and "country" (Keskin, 1991). Although the word "Toprak (Land)" mentioned in the definition of the word "homeland" was referred to in the metaphors developed by the students of every grade level, the word "Yurt (Native country)" mentioned in the definition of the word "homeland" was only used by the 4th and 5th grade students and not by students of higher grade levels. It can be said that the changes and improvements made to the education programs in Northern Cyprus in 2016 had an impact on this result.
However, the fact that the concept continuity is not taken into consideration in the said education programs and that different concepts are used in the textbooks may also be the reason for the said result. The words "memalik-i mahrusa (protected lands)" and "memalik-i sahane (lands of the sultan)", which are synonymous with the word "homeland", are the expressions used in the old Turkish language, however they are no longer used today.
In the Administration category, students used metaphors of country, the republic, the president, democracy, the army, the state, and the national anthem, which could be associated with the independence of a country.
In the Vitality category, students used metaphors such as the place we live in, spirit, life, the world, sun, heart, blood, tree, flower, brain, everything and a very beautiful thing. In the study conducted by Duran and Aladag (2018) on middle school students, it was found that the metaphors of heart, water and breath were used by the students in relation to the concept of homeland, which can be considered within the scope of the vitality category. On the other hand, the metaphors categorized under the category of "homeland as a vital requirement" in the study conducted by Sagdic and Ilhan (2018) on metaphors used in relation to the concept of "Homeland", included similar metaphors such as home, water, heart, breath, soil, and oxygen. The metaphor of sun was used by the students included in a study conducted by Duran and Aladag (2018) as well. The sun seems to be drawing attention due to its yellow color. The results reveal that being left without a homeland is perceived by the students the same as not to live.
In the Concrete Object category, students used metaphors such as gold, school, paper and lego, with lego metaphor being the most interesting one among them. Gold, like the sun, seems to be drawing attention due to its yellow color. Choice of color is a reflection of the child's inner world, and his/her positive and negative emotions (Cankirili, 2015). From this point of view, it can be said that when the homeland is mentioned, children feel happy and they tend to have positive thoughts. School is an important gate for a nation to have a positive perception of the future. Every country aims to raise generations that will protect and develop themselves. For this reason, we can say that the school is thought of as an important figure in the geography accepted as homeland. It is also possible to consider the use of paper metaphor as a new gate. Additionally, the school is also important in that it has the ability to gather pieces around a thought, like it is the case in lego. Thus, as the students had expressed, the homeland is indeed like a lego. Because people are intertwined.
In the National Value category, students used metaphors such as land, flag, nation, Ataturk, native country, hometown, Turkish flag, ancestor, and the source of our language and race. "Flag" and "Ataturk" were among the mostly expressed metaphors in the study conducted by Er-Turkuresin (2018), as well. A similar study, in which metaphors of land and flag were used by students, was conducted by Duran and Aladag (2018). Special attention should be paid to the "native country" metaphor used here. Because the 1960s were the war years in Cyprus. The fight between Turks and Greeks was continuing. This conflict had also affected the education systems. Education in the Turkish society had been disrupted by the war. Education programs were one of the biggest deficiencies in the field of education in the states established by Turkish Cypriots after the Cyprus Peace Operation in 1974. This deficiency was attempted to be filled with the preschool and primary school programs obtained from the motherland Turkey, which were implemented in exactly the same way. Thus a program parallel to the Turkish education system was followed (Caglar & Reis, 2007). Most of the time, the textbooks had been arrived from Turkey. A separate education system has been tried to be developed in Cyprus since 2003. In this context, the textbooks were written in accordance with the local characteristics, and efforts were made to prepare separate programs for certain courses. As a result of not being able to have written the programs of all courses, the integrity among the courses available in the primary education could not be achieved, and these efforts mostly could not go beyond printing the textbooks in the case of most of the courses. This fact has led to the textbook-based education in Northern Cyprus today (Northern Cyprus Ministry of National Education, 2016). When the textbooks are reviewed, it is seen that the concept of "vatan (homeland)" is in the foreground in the education programs, whereas the concept of "yurt (native country)" is used in the textbooks instead of homeland. Although these two words are used synonymously, there may be some semantic shifts.
In the Security category, students used metaphors such as our home (home), soldier, peace, protection and martyr, which was also the case in the study conducted by Duran and Aladag (2018) on middle school students, where the students used the metaphor of our home in relation to the concept of homeland. As it can be inferred from the opinions expressed by the students that, for children, home bears the meaning of a place, where they can take shelter and stay in safety. Their use of concepts of peace and protection also confirms this inference. On the other hand, their use of metaphors such as soldier, war and martyr are remarkable. Undoubtedly, measures to be taken for security generally involve the use of force, which can be associated with the use of concept of soldier by the students. Soldiers mostly make evocations of war, and wars result in the situations of being martyred. As a result, we can say that power seems to be an essential element with respect to staying safe and secure in the children's world of thought. This type of thinking may have arisen from some textbooks. The concept of "inevitability of war" is emphasized in the textbooks on History in particular, associating the subject with the geological location of Turkey. In addition, the concept of "army-nation" is also emphasized and citizenship is defined in line with military values and processes, without making a distinction between a soldier and a civilian (Altinay, 2009). Considering that these books are used directly in Northern Cyprus, it is necessary to check whether such books are compatible with the education programs. Otherwise, more harm than good may be done, by damaging the value of peace, while trying to teach the concept of homeland.
In the Value category, students used metaphors such as affection-respect, brotherhood, freedom, patriotism, unity, fellowship, love, goodness, heaven, benevolence, happiness, chastity, allegiance and tranquility. In the study of Sagdic and Ilhan (2018) with prospective social studies teachers, use of similar metaphors such as honor, heaven and heritage were reported under the category of "homeland as a sacred area". In the study of Ciftci & Dikmenli (2016), some of the participants used metaphors such as national identity, independence and belongingness regarding the perception of homeland, whereas other students used metaphors such as common life, richness of diversity and sharing the same ideals. It was concluded as a result of this study that the events experienced in students' families and in their immediate environments were effective in occurrence of a change in their perceptions of the concept of homeland. Thus, it can be said that different perspectives of the families and schools are effective in the differences observed in terms of perceiving the concept of homeland. The fact that there is no unity in the language may have negatively impacted the perception of the concept of homeland as a common value.
In the Social Environment category, students used metaphors such as family, person, mother-father, society, animal, child and half rotten apple. "Family" and "Mother" metaphors were found to be among the mostly expressed metaphors in the study conducted by Er-Turkuresin (2018). "Family" and "Mother-Father" metaphors were among the frequently used metaphors towards the concept of "homeland" in the study conducted by Ozkan and Taskin (2014), as well. The mental images produced by the students about the concept of homeland in the study conducted by Duran and Aladag (2018) on middle school students revealed the use of mother and family metaphors. According to this finding, "homeland" is seen as an element that is on your side when you run into trouble. Loyalty comes to mind in relation to the use of animal metaphor, as in the use of half rotten apple metaphor. The fact that half of the apple is rotten can be interpreted with unfaithfulness and its result is described as treason.
As a result of the fact that the values are taught only theoretically as information and that practicing this information is not given due consideration give rise to individuals who know what the truth is but do not practice the truth. Practicing of the values should be given due importance as much as given to knowing what values mean; otherwise, integrity will not be achieved (Gungor, 2000).

Conclusions
It was observed as a result of this study that the students have a very broad metaphorical perception about the concept of homeland. It was also observed that the perceptions towards the concept of homeland differed among the participants, that some participants had misconceptions, and however that they all produced positive metaphors.
Homeland is the place, where people settle, and develop material and spiritual values. Therefore, it is important for the future of societies that individuals' perceptions towards the concept of the homeland are positive and they adopt the values the homeland contains. The analysis of the education programs in the country revealed that the education given is not sufficient in achieving the goals in respect of developing the concept of homeland the goals, despite the fact that certain targets have been set for developing the concept of homeland within the scope of the Life Studies and Social Studies courses. The fact that the number of students who could not accurately define homeland was high also indicates that there are important deficiencies in the execution of the programs. Students can be said to perceive homeland as a valuable concept, though they do not have a common opinion about what this value is worth. The feelings and thoughts of their families towards the concept of homeland may be effective on the students' perceptions to that respect. Thus conducting a study on the perceptions' of the parents towards the concept of homeland may be expedient.

Recommendations
Determination of the homeland perceptions of elementary and middle school students is also important in terms of predicting their patriotic behaviors. In this context, the following recommendations have been made: teachers have an important place in ensuring the adoption of the concept of homeland as a value. Therefore, value education courses can be included in the undergraduate programs o teachers colleges in order to raise the awareness of pre-service teachers about value education during the education process. Teachers may carry out "concept teaching" activities in order to prevent misconceptions among students. Particular attention should be paid to the synonyms of the word "vatan (homeland)". In-service training can be provided to teachers on concept and value teaching, in cooperation with universities and the Ministry of National Education. Specific content that aims to raise the awareness of the concept of homeland can be included in the curriculum and textbook and it can be ensured that this content is consistent with the learning outcomes specified in the curriculum. In order to create the sense of belonging and national consciousness in students towards the lands they live in, trips to historical places can be organized and the historical importance of these places can be emphasized. Holding events in the framework of parent-school-student cooperation, where the participation of the parents is ensured, can be effective in the development of common thought towards the concept of homeland. It should not be forgotten that trips are an important tool to instill the love of homeland in individuals.

Limitations
This study is a qualitative study conducted with elementary and middle school students. The data obtained from the study should be evaluated in line with the limitations of a qualitative study. Qualitative data of the study were obtained through written questions and the answers given to these questions. It could have been possible to obtain more themes and categories through in-depth individual interviews. Second limitation of the study is that the qualitative data were collected from students that were enrolled in the selected schools located in 3 different districts of the country, and who agreed to participate in the study. It could have been possible to have contributed to the research by increasing the diversity of the data through collecting data from students enrolled in schools located in three other districts of the country.