An action research on the scientist image of 4th grade students

The scientist images of various age groups from various educational stages were investigated in several studies so far (Mead and Metraux, 1957; Song and Kim, 1999; Thomas et al.,2006; Türkmen, 2008). The present study, on the other hand, was conducted on the action research design with the students living in low socio-economic conditions in a small village in Turkey. With this study, the existing stereotypical images of students were changed and the effects of various methods on changing the images were investigated. Some changes were determined in the present study. In the light of the findings obtained in the present study, changes were determined in the images of the students about scientists after the application was conducted. The students, who imagined scientists as wearing glasses, with moustache, bald, or having messy hair, did not include these elements in their drawings after the application was conducted. The stereotypical images of students determined before the application are given in the literature (Doğan, 2015; Song and Kim, 1999; Yontar-Toğrul, 2013). It is considered that the initial images of the students occurred due to the media, because these students who live in low socio-economic conditions, had not met any scientist before and had no information about their works. In previous studies conducted in the same field, it was reported that the media had negative effects on students about the images of scientist and guided students to a "bad scientist" image (Özel and Doğan, 2013). It was observed in the present study that the stereotypical images about the outlook of scientists were completely changed. It was concluded in the present study that hanging the pictures of scientists on the class notice board, reading the biographies and stories about scientists, and introducing scientists in this way were influential in changing the image of scientists.

Before the application, the students drew test tubes, experimental animals and plants, respectively as the symbols of research. These images that existed in the students comply with the relevant literature (Mead and Metraux, 1957). After the present study, it was observed that all the images of the students on research symbols changed completely. The reasons for this may be that the emphasis was on the social lives of the scientist that were introduced in the context of the study and they were mostly from the field of social sciences. Because it was observed in the drawings that scientist read books, made declarations to the media, and donated to relief agencies. In addition, it is also possible that this situation helps children develop positive feeling about scientists. Some students wrote in their diaries that they wanted to become scientists when they grew up, and help children like themselves. According to Buldu (2006), the reason why students want to become scientist is that they consider it as a funny thing.

When the images of the students about the knowledge symbols used by scientists were analyzed, it was observed that the students drew books and graphics/ mathematical statements before the application. After the application, only one student included graphics/mathematical statements. The student was asked the reason of this drawing and the student stated that she did not draw the works of the scientist, but it was a drawing about their childhood of the scientist. In other words the student drew the education received by the scientist when she was young. Based on these statements, it may be claimed that the students are curious about the childhoods of scientists, and have the idea that they were children once in the past, and had daily lives. Türkmen (2008) stated that teachers were important in primary education years in the formation and sharing of the perceptions about science and scientist. He also mentioned that the student-centered education was effective in preventing the stereotypical images. In this case, it may be considered that the activities in the present study were guiding in the change of images in students.

Another interesting this was also observed in the present study. In this context, no technological symbols used by scientists were observed in the drawings of the students before the application; however, computer and plane symbols were observed in the drawings after the study. Especially female students were impressed by Amelia Earhart, and were interested in the flight experiences of her. However, it was a male student who used a plane in his drawings. The male student was stated about his drawing that he was impressed by Amelia Earhart, and wanted to experience flying. The students adopted a scientist without discriminating between female and male gender might be considered as a positive value of the study. Similar results were reported in the literature. For example, it was reported that female students were mostly interested in Marie Cruie, and male students were mostly interested in Edison, Einstein and Newton as role models (Song and Kim, 1999; Thomas et al., 2006; Türkmen, 2008).

Before the application, all male students drew male scientist. This image was also reported in many previous studies (Çakmakçı et al., 2016; Doğan, 2015; Mead and Metraux, 1957; Özel and Doğan, 2013; Song and Kim, 1999; Thomas et al.2006; Türkmen, 2008; Yontar-Toğrul, 2013). Diffusion was observed in the gender of the scientists in the drawings of the students after the application. Two of the students drew male scientists, while five students drew female, and five drew a team of scientists. The reasons for this were interpreted as that the works of female scientist were considered as interesting, and showed achievements through difficulties. Because, in interviews made with the students who said that they were impressed by Amelia Earhart, they said that the achievements of them as women were considered as a model of courage, and this was inspiring for them. As it is observed, scientists may be affected not only by the outlook of scientist but also by the culture in which they grew up.

In general, it was observed that the students mostly drew scientist as a happy, lovely, helpful, hardworking, and smart/wise. All students drew scientist as a happy person. As far as it was found possible, the drawings of students that showed scientist as happy people were exhibited. In addition, the students also stated that they would ask questions to the scientist if any of them visited their classrooms.

The students initially preferred the working environment of scientists as the nature/garden or laboratory. After the study, it was observed that there were slight changes in this perception. In the interviews on the drawings, some students stated that some scientists had to have laboratories to conduct works. No adequate visual aids were obtained for Zekai Muammer Tunçman, who was selected in the scope of the study, and his picture showing his works in laboratory was not hung in the notice board. One of the students in the interviews stated that it was easier for him/her to draw this picture. In this context, it was concluded that students must be provided with different opportunities.

When evaluated in general terms, many stereotypical scientists that were included in the literature were not observed in the drawings of the students in the present study. It is considered that this is related with the age, level, socio-cultural environment, and media. Different from the findings reported in the studies in the literature, it was observed that the younger students had more stereotypical images (Özel and Doğan, 2013). The reason for this might be the effect of magazines, course books and teacher speeches (Türkmen, 2008) which are considered as the sources of images.

Recommendations

In the present study, which was conducted in the 4^th grade primary school students, the functionality of the methods used to change the image of scientist in the literature was tested. For this purpose, it was ensured that the image of scientist was changed by telling scientific stories and by using direct reflecting activities. The findings obtained in the present study showed that the methods used in the present study were adequate in changing the outlook of scientist, the research symbols used by scientist, knowledge symbols, technological products and gender. The students who depicted scientists as happy people both before and after the application could not change their images about scientist having the laboratory as the working environment. However, it must be born in mind that the scientist image in the minds of the students is a barrier before the science (Finson, 2003). In addition, the present study was designed as an action study in a small village school. Based on this point, future researchers should conduct image studies with wider groups on changing the scientist images of students, which may produce more definitive results. However, such studies must be conducted with teachers, and these perceptions must be imposed to students by teachers, because many studies conducted in the same field emphasized that there are magazines, course books, films, the media, social media and teachers in the center of scientist image (Song and Kim, 1999; Thomas et al., 2006; Türkmen, 2008). In addition, it was also observed in the present study that the activities used and the stories told were effective and beneficial in changing the images of the students. During the conducting activities in classes, a newspaper article was read to the students. An interview made with Aziz Sancar in a newspaper attracted the attention of the students, and they tried to contact this scientist through e-mails. With similar activities, inviting a scientist to the classroom and introducing him/her to the students and a conversation between them -especially with scientists from social sciences field - will attract attention in similar studies and will be beneficial in terms of providing information in the field of social science.