Changing Children's Images of Scientists: Can Teachers Make a Difference?.

Abstract

Teachers generally wish to improve their pupils' attitudes towards science and scientists. There are many ways of doing this, one of which is to use children's drawings to elicit and challenge the views they hold. This article describes the results of a study of 281 primary (5-11 year-old) pupils and draws on results obtained from 132 secondary (11-13 year-old) pupils to gain clues as to when and how children develop their ideas. A technique was used in which children were asked to draw an imagined pair of scientists in order to reveal their images of scientists and to explore issues of gender, race, social relevance and collaboration in science. Suggestions are offered on how to counter the stereotypes children form.