Investigation of the Secondary School Students’ Images of Scientists

Year 2016, Volume: 12 Issue: 1, 64 - 72, 01.04.2016

Abuzer Akgün

Abstract

The overall purpose of this study is to explore secondary school students’ images of scientists. In addition to this comprehensive purpose, it is also investigated that if these students’ current images of scientists and those in which they see themselves as a scientist in the near future are consistent or not. The study was designed in line with the case study research in a qualitatively manner. The working group is of totally 175 (95 boys, 81 girls) secondary school students enrolled in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade of a public school located in the province of Adıyaman. Data were collected through drawings during the drawing activity and interviews conducted with the selected drawings’ owners in order to explore images of scientists. Elements take place in the drawings which are investigated by two of science education expert and one of art expert were analyzed in accordance with certain categories appearing in the related literature. Furthermore, fifteen pictures among others were randomly selected and their owners were asked to imagine themselves as a scientist in the near future and consequently depict and draw on a paper their imagination. For further information, interviews were carried out to determine the differences between the first drawings and the second ones. It is concluded that 68% of secondary school students draw a natural scientist or scientists, 2,28% of those draw a social scientist or scientists and finally the rest draw no scientist. The rate of drawings including only one scientist is %66,85 while the rate of drawings possess more than two scientists %4,57. On the other hand, the rest of the drawings are without any scientist. There is no obvious difference in all categories selected in the context of the study according to grade level and gender. The study revealed the possibility of the fact that secondary school students’ images of scientist are substantially formed by the content of prevailing mainbooks and workbooks including activities in the classrooms. When talking about scientists, the majority of the students depict a naturel scientist who works more often in the laboratory, especially male and bespectacled. In addition, students mostly consider people as a scientist who work in the field of natural sciences. Consequently, doing science is an individual effort in an indoor environment rather than a set of group activity. Finally, data from interviews show that most of the students have a dream of being scientist in their future careers

Keywords

Nature of Science, Images of Scientists, Drawing Technique