Metaphorical Perception of School Counsellors Regarding Migration from Syria

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to determine perceptions, of school counsellors working with Syrian and other students under temporary protection (SOSuTP) in the Ministry of National Education via metaphors, and categories classified with these metaphors. In this study, the perceptions of the school counsellors who have SOSuTP, were determined using the phenomenology pattern of qualitative research methods. The criterion sampling method was chosen from the purposive sampling techniques for the selection of work group. For this reason, it was considered that all of the school counsellors participating in the study have at least 15 SOSuTP and have experiences about migration from Syria. The chosen group for this purpose consisted of 338 school counsellors, of which 282 were male and 56 were female, from 35 different provinces. To uncover perceptions of school counsellors regarding migration from Syria with metaphors, school counsellors were asked to complete “Migration from Syria is like...., because ....”. “Metaphoric Perception Text” were analyzed with content analysis method. Based on analysis of metaphors developed by school counsellors, 7 different conceptual categories were created. Frequency and percentage level of these categories were as follows: (1) disaster/ sadness (f = 100, 29.6%), (2) escape/salvation/helplessness (f = 67, 19.8%), (3) separation/exile (f = 65, 19.2%), (2) hopeful future expectation (f = 38, 11.2%), (5) increase/no end/uncertainty (f = 35, 10.2%), (6) big game/elephants and grasses (f = 17, 5.0%), (7) were unintentional (f = 16, 2.7%). When obtained metaphors were analyzed, it was seen that negative crises, disasters, negative migration and hijra, negative separation in family and unstoppable negative natural events were used. In order to diminish these negative thoughts, multicultural in-service training should be provided to school administrators, teachers and school counselors in order to provide the best possible education according to their culture for SOSuTP. Moreover, teachers and administrators who deal with children and suffer from war trauma, can have a “secondary trauma”, it may be advisable to provide teachers with psychosocial support in this context.