The Analysis of Sports Science Students Metaphorical Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence

The purpose of this study is to reveal the perceptions of sports sciences students regarding artificial intelligence (AI) through metaphors and to conduct a categorical analysis of these metaphors in order to gain an in-depth understanding of how AI is perceived by the students. A qualitative research design, specifically the "Metaphor Analysis" method, was employed. Data were collected by asking sports sciences students to complete the sentence: "Artificial intelligence is like ______ to me because ______." A total of 222 students participated in the study. The findings were grouped under five themes: facilitator, source of information, threat and risk, human entity, and redundancy. As a result, the majority of sports sciences students perceive AI as a valuable assistant that facilitates their lives and as a resource that provides rapid access to information. However, there is also significant awareness regarding the risks associated with AI and its human-related dimensions. The broad spectrum of students' perceptions of AI offers important implications for the integration of technology into educational processes. It is anticipated that the study’s findings will contribute to both academic and practical levels in the design of instructional activities and the pedagogical integration of AI-based tools.