Discipline: General Science
The study investigated freshmen education students’ perceptions
regarding science and scientists. Participants include 41 freshmen students
(12 male, 29 female) who were administered the Draw-A-Scientist-Test
(Chambers, 1983). Each participant was asked to draw a scientist doing
science and describe what the scientist was doing through captions,
statements, and free writing. Results revealed some commonalities in the
stereotypic perceptions regarding scientists. The findings generally showed
that scientists are male, Filipinos, elderly to middle-aged, working in a
laboratory alone. Stereotypic images include scientists are having glasses,
facial hair and/or crazy hair, and wearing lab coats. A scientist is pictured
as devoted to humankind’s wellbeing. They are pictured as busy working
with their frantic intellectual creativity that they overlook their appearance.
Conclusions from this research and implications for science study and
teaching curricula are discussed.