‘More than Just Waste Paper’ – It Could Be an Indicator of a Stereotypical Image of a Scientist

Yıl 2018, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 3, 715 - 730, 15.07.2018

Sedat Karacam Volkan Bilir Azize Digilli Baran

https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.7.3.715

Öz

The
purpose of this study was to investigate the meanings assigned by pre-service
teachers to the wastepaper basket and waste (crumpled) papers in their drawings
of a scientist. The study was carried out with 220 pre-service teachers during
the 2015-2016 academic years. A phenomenological research method was used.
First, the pre-service teachers were administered the ‘Draw-A-Scientist Test’
in order to identify their images of a scientist and then they were asked to
describe and explain the scientist they drew. And a semi-structured interview
was performed with the 34 pre-service teachers who included a wastepaper basket
and waste paper in their drawings in order to identify the meanings assigned to
the wastepaper and wastepaper basket by these teachers. The data were analysed
by using content analysis. The results of the analysis showed that with these
figures the pre-service teachers revealed their belief that when scientists
conduct research, they follow a confirmatory experimental process in a similar
manner to the way school science experiments. Based on these results, it can be
suggested in the analysis of the drawings that waste paper and wastepaper
baskets can be regarded as indicators of the stereotypical image of scientists
and of the scientific method they use.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Science, science education, image of scientist, draw-a-scientist test

Kaynakça

• Beardslee, D. C., & O’Dowd, D. D. (1961). The college-student image of the scientist. Science, 133(3457), 997–1001.
• Carey, S., Evans, R., Honda, M., Jay, E., & Unger, C. (1989). An experiment is when you try it and see if it works: A study of grade 7 students' understanding of the construction of scientific knowledge. International Journal of Science Education [Special issue], 11, 514–529.
• Chambers, D. W. (1983). Stereotypic images of the scientist: The A-Draw-A-Scientist Test. Science Education, 67(2), 255–265.
• Creswell, J. (2013). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. London, UK: SAGE Publications.
• Entwistle, N. (1997). Introduction: Phenomenography in higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, 16(2), 127–134.
• Farland, D., & McComas, W. (2006).Deconstructing the DAST: Development of a valid and reliable tool for assessing students’ perceptions of scientists. Paper presented at the Association of Science Teacher Education Conference, Clearwater, FL.
• Finson, K. D., Beaver, J. B., & Cramond, B. L. (1995). Development and field tests of a checklist for the Draw-A-Scientist Test. School Science and Mathematics, 95(4), 195–205.
• Finson, K. D. (2003). Applicability of the DAST-C to the images of scientists drawn by students of different racial groups. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 15(1), 15– 26.
• Fung, Y. Y. H. (2002). A comparative study of primary and secondary school students' images of scientists. Research in Science & Technological Education, 20(2), 199–213.
• Karacam, S. (2016a). Scientist-image stereotypes: The relationships among their indicators. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 16(3), 1027–1049.
• Karacam, S. (2016b). Investigating how the biographies of today’s scientists affect 8th graders’ scientist image. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 12(8), 1971–1995.
• Koren, P., & Bar, V. (2009). Pupils’ image of ‘the scientist’ among two communities in Israel: A comparative study. International Journal of Science Education, 31(18), 2485–2509.
• Krajkovich, J. G., & Smith, J. K. (1982).The development of the image of science and scientists scale. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 19, 39–44.
• Kurnaz, M. A., Tarakci, F., Saydam, A., & Pektas, M. (2013). Elektriklenme, yildirim ve simsek ile ilgili ogrenci zihinsel modellerinin incelenmesi [An analysis of high school students' mental models of electrification, thunder and lightning]. Usak University Journal of Social Sciences, 6(4), 33–51.
• Kurnaz, M. A., & Degirmenci, A. (2012). 7. Sinif ogrencilerinin gunes, dunya ve ay ile ilgili zihinsel modelleri [Mental models of 7th grade students on the Sun, Earth and Moon]. Elementary Education Online, 11(1), 137–150.
• Kurnaz, M. A., & Eksi, C. (2015). An analysis of high school students’ mental models of solid friction in physics. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 15(3), 787–795.
• Mandler, J. M. (1992). How to build a baby: II. Conceptual primitives. Psychological Review, 99, 587–604.
• Maoldomhnaigh, M., & Hunt, A. (1988). Some factors affecting the image of the scientist drawn by older primary school pupils. Research in Science & Technological Education, 6, 159–166.
• Mead, M., & Metraux, R. (1957). Images of the scientists among high-school students. Science, 126, 384–390.
• Medina-Jerez, W., Middleton, K. V., & Orihuela-Rabaza, W. (2011). Using the DAST-C to explore Colombian and Bolivian students’ images of a scientist. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 9(3), 657–690.
• Merriam, S. (1992). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
• Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
• Ocal, E. (2007). Ilkogretim 6, 7, 8. sinif ogrencilerinin bilim insani hakkindaki imaj ve goruslerinin belirlenmesi [Determination of the image and opinions of 6th, 7th and 8th grade primary education students about scientists] (Unpublished master’s thesis). Gazi University Institute of Educational Sciences, Ankara, Turkey.
• Oner-Armagan, F. (2015). Cognitive structures of elementary school students: What is science? European Journal of Physics Education, 6(2), 54–73.
• Ozgelen, S. (2012). Turkish young children’s views on science and the scientist. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice [Special issue], 12, 3211–3225.
• Rosenthal, D. B. (1993). Images of scientists: A comparison of biology and liberal studies majors. School Science and Mathematics, 93(4), 212–216.
• Scherz, Z., & Oren, M. (2006). How to change students’ images of science and technology. Science Education, 90(6), 965–985.
• She, H. (1998). Gender and grade level differences in Taiwan students’ stereotypes of science and scientists. Research in Science & Technological Education, 16(2), 125–135.
• Steinke, J. (2005). Cultural representations of gender and science: Portrayals of female scientists and engineers in popular films. Science Communication, 27, 27–63.
• Tsai, C. C. (1999). ”Laboratory exercises help me memorize the scientific truths”: A study of eighth graders’ scientific epistemological views and learning in laboratory activities. Science Education, 83(6), 671.
• Tuken, G. (2010). Kentlerde ve kirsal kesimde ogrenim goren ogrencilerin bilimsel epistemolojik inanclarinin belirlenmesi [Determining scientific epistemological beliefs of students in urban and rural places] (Unpublished master’s thesis). Osmangazi University Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Eskisehir, Turkey.
• Turkish Language Association (2005).Turkce sozluk [Turkish dictionary]. Ankara, Turkey: Turkish Language Society.
• Turkmen, H. (2008). Turkish primary students’ perceptions about scientists and what factors affect the image of the scientists. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 4(1), 55–61.
• Yontar-Togrol, A. (2000). Ogrencilerin bilim insani ile ilgili imgeleri [Student images of the scientist]. Education and Science, 25(118), 49–57.