Student Images of the Scientist

Abstract

The aim of this study is to clarify the stereotypical images that students have of scientists. Also, gender differences and differences between different grade levels were foci of interest. Draw-A-Scientist Test-DAST (Chambers, 1983) was used in order to measure the students' images of scientists. As Rosenthal (1993) mentions, drawings have become one of the most important research instruments in understanding students' images of scientists since Chambers (1983) described his results from the DAST. The sample of the study consists of 254 female and 153 male students (TV=443) from different grade levels. Analysis of the drawings shows that stereotypical characteristics portrayed by the students overlapped with the ones clarified in other societies with some minimal differences. In terms of the characteristics shown, there were no important differences between girls and boys except in the gender of the scientist. The results of the study contribute information related to the values Turkish students at different grade levels give to scientists.