UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS REGARDING THE HOLY QUR’AN: A METAPHORICAL STUDY ON MUSLIM TURK SAMPLE

The purpose of this study is to reveal university students' perceptions regarding Holy Qur'an through metaphors. The survey group of study consists of 194 participants who were studying in Theology Department and Social Service Department at Gümüşhane University in the 2014-2015 academic terms. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used together. The study's data was collected through a form with the phrase “The Holy Qur'an is similar/like..., because...” and some demographical variables. The Content Analysis Technique was used to interpret data. Results of this study determined that 44 different metaphors regarding Holy Qur'an were given by participants. Theme of these metaphors were compiled as 9 categories consisting of directional, life source, explanatory, key, protective, curative, instructive, speech, and other categories. Top metaphors are in the directional, life source and explanatory categories. Determining relationships between demographical variables and metaphoric categories is one of the secondary aims. In the relationships between demographical variables and metaphoric categories, theology students produced more metaphors in the explanatory and instructive categories, while social service students produced more metaphors in the life source category in terms of major variable. Female students produced more metaphors in the curative and other categories, whereas males who students produced more metaphors in the directional category in terms of gender variable. Students graduated from religious vocational high schools produced more metaphors in the key and speech categories; and other students graduated from other high schools produced more metaphors in the directional category in terms of high school variable. Students took the Qur'an education in their life produced more metaphors in the curative and other categories. Meanwhile students were not taking the Qur'an education in their life produced more metaphors in the directional category in terms of the Qur'an education. What's more it is determined that both perception of the subjective religiousness and perception of family's religiousness have significant relationships with metaphor categories