Determining middle school students' perceptions of the concept of artificial intelligence: A metaphor analysis

Apart from the fact that human-like robots are still one of the most interesting topics in science fiction, artificial intelligence (AI) continues to develop rapidly as a popular phenomenon for all sectors. Although the idea that this rapid rise of AI means the rise of humanity has been voiced by many, the point of how AI will affect humanity continues to raise doubts in certain parts of the society. In this study, it is aimed to determine the perceptions of middle school students, which are a part of the future of humanity, towards the concept of AI, on which many discussions have been made, through metaphors. The sample consisted of 339 seventh and eighth grade students of four secondary schools in the central districts of Afyonkarahisar and Izmir in the 2019-2020 academic year. This study used a qualitative approach utilizing metaphor analysis as a research tool to investigate phenomena. Participants were asked the complete the sentence “Artificial intelligence is like.................., because ..................” Data were analyzed using content analysis. Participants’ metaphors for AI were grouped under 11 categories: smart, brain, nature, security, humanistic, the dilemma of good and evil, service, object, technology, life, and time. The data obtained showed that the participants generally used positive metaphors to describe AI, that is, they had positive perceptions about AI. However, in this study, which focused on the AI perceptions of middle school students, all of the metaphors collected under 11 conceptual categories containing positive and negative perceptions were examined and interpreted separately. It is thought that educational computer systems can be designed to shape students' perceptions of AI. Teachers can consider students' perceptions of AI by using AI-assisted teaching and designing content to enhance students' learning skills.