 |
Asia-Pacific Forum
on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 12, Issue 1, Article 5
(Jun., 2011) |
|
Asia-Pacific Forum
on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 12, Issue 1, Article 5
(Jun., 2011) |
Participants: The sample consists of 359 students from 5th to 11th grades consisting of 235 boys and 124 girls from three different primary and secondary (General High) schools located in the same city. In this study drawings were obtained from a convenience sample of science students, including 5th grade (n=50), 6th grade (n=82), 7th grade (n=89), 8th grade (n=51), 9th grade (n=41), 10th grade (n=29), and 11th grade (n=17).
Data collection: The Draw-a-Scientist Test (Chambers, 1983) was used to collect data. Students from grades five to eleven were supplied blank sheet of paper and asked to “Draw a drawing which tells what you know about scientist and their work” (Symington and Spurling, 1990). To increase the effectiveness of the data obtained from DAST, students were encourage to add sentences, annotating about what scientists do (Rennie and Jarvins, 1995) on their drawings.
Data analysis: This study is based on qualitative data. The Finson, Beaver and Cramond (1995) protocol was used to analyze students’ drawings. In this protocol, each drawing was rated for specific stereotypic images and additional information obtained from the students’ narratives using The Draw-a-Scientist Checklist (DAST-C) (Finson et al., 1995). Seven types of indicators were chosen to describe stereotypes of scientists proposed by Finson et al. (1995), including (1) lab coat, (2) eye glasses, (3) facial growth of hair, (4) symbols of research, (5) symbols of knowledge, (6) technology and (7) relevant captions. In addition, seven alternative indicators were added to analyze the drawings. These are male gender, indication of danger, presence of light bulbs, mythic stereotypes, indication of secrecy, and scientists doing work indoors, and being middle aged or elderly persons.
The analysis of the student essays about science and scientist were categorized as (1) “type of explanation” includes plain assay, poem, and word puzzle; (2) “what scientists do” includes help to society and humanity, produced and invented new things, remedy for illnesses and problems; (3) “scientist who” have large brains, objective, curious, open to criticism, thinker, independent, smart, work hard, patient, can make mistakes, know everything (Mead and Metraux, 1957).
Copyright (C) 2011 HKIEd APFSLT. Volume 12, Issue 1, Article 5 (Jun., 2011). All Rights Reserved.
