Abstract:

This study was conducted in children who participated in natural activities for the first time in their lives, with the aim of studying the effects of the activities on natural intelligence and the metaphors that children create about nature. The universe of research is 2016- 2017 educational school year, with 15 children who have not previously participated in any natural activity, sent to the course of natural activities that will last 5 weeks (three days a week) by their families during summer holidays. The study was conducted in two stages. In the first phase, to determine the levels of "natural intelligence" of the participants, only 8 sub-dimensions of "natural intelligence" of the "Multiple Intelligence Fields Self-Evaluation Scale" were used, and in the second phase, the factual science (fenomenological) approach, which is a quality research model, was used. For the analysis of Nicel data, the pre-test - the combined t test was used in the final test comparisons, and the content analysis in the quality data. When the quantitative data obtained from the study were evaluated, the participation in natural activities had a direct and positive impact on natural intelligence, while when the metaphors they expressed about nature were studied, the four themes included 12 metaphoric expressions. These are; Theme 1- Living Learning (%33.3): Sea, Surprise Box, Adventure Island, Game Park, Theme 2- Living Needs (%25): Breath, Baby, Sheet Warts, Theme 3- Information Acquisition (%25): Mother, Teacher, Encyclopedia and Theme 4- Environmental Values (%16,7): Heaven is in the form of Flight.