Perceptions and attitudes of gifted and talented secondary school students towards plants

Abstract

The aim of this research is to determine the perceptions and attitudes of gifted and talented students towards plants. The study group was consisted of 140 gifted and talented students, who were attending the Science and Art Centre (BILSEM) in the Marmara region during the autumn semester of the 2015–2016 academic year. The study group was determined through the convenience sampling method. Relational model (one of the descriptive models) and phenomenological research design were implemented in line with the purpose of the study. Quantitative data were obtained using the ‘Plant Attitude Questionnaire’ and qualitative data were acquired with survey form. Quantitative data were subjected to descriptive statistics, independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the SPSS 20 software program. Similarly, the qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. According to the results of the study, it was determined that, for the concept of ‘plant’, the gifted and talented students mostly mentioned human, life, water, breath, lung, air, oxygen, and sun metaphors. The metaphors of the students were categorized as ‘benefit’, ‘characteristic’, ‘environment’, and ‘negative thinking’. It was determined that the general attitudes of the gifted and talented students towards the plants were at a good level. It was also specified that the students’ interests towards the plants, the importance they gave to them and their attitudes to their daily use were also at a good level, but their attitudes towards the city trees were at a low level. It is understood that certain variables such as gender, grade, and duration of attendance at BILSEM did not have a statistically significant effect on general plant attitudes of gifted and talented students.