What Do Children Think About Scientists?

Transcription

1 What Do Children Think About Scientists? D. Segarra 1, M. Duran 2 and S. Simon 2 1 Recerca en Acció Fundació Institució Catalana de Suport a la Recerca Pg. Lluís Companys, Barcelona david.segarra@fundaciorecerca.cat 2 Càtedra de Cultura Científica i Comunicació Digital, Universitat de Girona Facultat de Ciències, Campus Montilivi, Girona silvia.simon@udg.edu Worldwide there are a number of initiatives aimed at popularizing science in the society. Many of these initiatives try to promote a demystified image of researchers. To do that, we should first know what the stereotypes about scientists spread among people are. If we know that, then it would be possible to decide the types of initiatives to be taken. We ve been organizing a Draw a Scientist contest since That contest allowed us to collect hundreds of drawings over several years carried out by Catalan children from 7 to 14 years old. The main goal of this project is to analyze these drawings. Their results demonstrate which are the most frequent topics and stereotypes in the mind of citizens, in this case through the younger members of society. Following these first conclusions, we suggest that any program that aims to offer an image of the scientists close to reality should take into account some of these elements. In order to do that we suggest some recommendations to be considered by communication officers and policy makers.

2 1. INTRODUCTION The analysis of children s drawings about scientists has been undertaken in a systematic way in the last three decades. Since Chambers developed in the 80 s the so called Draw a Scientist Test, DAST (Chambers 1983) several studies pointed out the existence of a number of stereotypes affecting the image of the drawn scientist. The stereotypes appears recurrently in the drawings from children of different countries and throughout time and can be considered as indicators of society's perception of science (Fison 2002). The results of such studies can help policy makers and communication officers to define some key aspects of the public communication of science to be undertaken by universities and research centres, as we develop in this paper. 2. METHODOLOGY The drawings were produced within the project Researchers Night, 2009 and 2010 editions. The main objectives of this project are based on tackle the stereotype that general people have about scientist. To have a knowledge of which is the image that student have about researchers, a drawing contest have been performed during each edition. A total of 748 drawings were collected all around Catalonia (with a large percentage in Girona region). The drawings were made by students aged from 6 to 15 year old, who were asked to Draw a Scientist ( Dibuixa un científic o cientifica in its original formulation, including both genders). It is worth noting that the context of the drawing activity was not controlled by the present paper authors. The gender distribution of the participants was 45% boys and 55% girls. The age distribution gives a concentration of drawings performed by students of 9 and 10 years old (20% of each), followed by 7 and 6 years old students (17% and 12% respectively). 3. RESULTS Table 1 collects the different items that have been analyzed from the sample of 748 drawings. The elements taken into account have been based on the seven stereotypical indicators of the DAST developed by Chambers (Chambers 1983), but also items related to gender, proposed by Finson ( Fison 1995) as well as working group activities. The items considered in the present paper has been divided in different aspects: gender and group work, personal appearance, working tools and place, attitude of the scientist and finally some ideas about benefits or danger coming from scientist.

3 a) Gender and Work Team The first question that arises in the analysis of the drawings is the perception that children have of scientists based on their gender. Which gender predominates on science? In our case, the 63% of the drawings depicted a male scientist, while 30% represented a female scientist. The remaining 8% represents a mixed group. A second question could be asked about how scientists work: are they performing its job alone or on team? From our results, the scientist working alone represents 84% of the sample, while only 6 % works on pairs and 8% in a team. The idea of science being a lonely activity is predominating. Although this fact is obviously influenced by the question of the contest ( Draw a Scientist ) we think that the general public perception is not far from these results. Table 1 Percentages of the different items analyzed in the present work. The total sample is 748 drawings. Item % % % (a) Gender and Group work Male Female Mixt Gender Alone Pair Group Team (b) Personal Appearance Yes White Coat 42 Glasses 35 Crazy Hair 26 Big head 25 (c) Scientific Activities Chemistry 76 Astronomy 17 Biology and Environmental Science 39 Health 11 Technology 18 (d) Working Tools Computers 10 Books and Notebooks 18 Formulas and Numbers 23 Words and letters 37 (e) Working Space Indoor 85 Outdoor 15 (f) Attitude Positive 48 Negative 5 Crazy 11 Comic 6 Neutral 48 (g) Danger/Benefit Danger 15 Benefits 3

4 (b) Personal Appearance As it was pointed out previously (Finson 2002) there is a stereotypical image of scientists which has not been changing in the last decades. In general, the image is based on lab coats (white), glasses (normal and security), mad hair and big head. Let s analyze what Catalan students think about scientists. According to our analysis, drawings show diversified professionals who are dedicated to science. But in a certain percentage of cases, which varies depending on the element considered, the image remains both typical and outdated. Over 42% of the students draw scientists wearing white coat, and almost 35% glasses (security glasses or not). Two other items represents scientist as different : the crazy hair as well as the head dimension. A way to express that scientist needs to be more than clever is represented by an extra head dimension (25 % of the sample). Also the crazy hair (26%) helps to emphasize the idea of not being normal people. Figure 1 represent two different drawings were it can be stated the stereotype image of scientist, with white coat, glasses, big head (second image) with some crazy hair. Figure 1 White Coat, glasses, crazy hair and big head. (c) Scientific Activity When Catalan children choose the activity to which scientist are working on, they draw chemists. The presence of this scientific discipline in children's drawings far exceeds the others. Thus, 76% of the students draw a scientist with tools specific to chemistry as Erlenmeyer flasks and test tubes (Figure 2). 39% of the sample depict scientist related to biology, representing both a microscope (where a sample is observed) or doing fieldwork in nature. Another 17% of the sample draw researchers related to astronomy, and only 11% represent scientific activities related to health. Technological activities are also reflected in the scientific representation, almost all of them based on robots. It represents almost 18% of the total sample. (Figure 3) It is worth mentioning that there is an important predominance of the experimental sciences (chemistry) towards other biomedical sciences. This Figure 2 Scientist working as a chemist Figure 3 Technological lab

5 fact contrasts to the current state of research of the biomedical and health branches of science, which are the research fields with more investment. It seems that children tend to represent more reachable science, like astronomy and science related to environment, being more aware through the schools in this area. (d) Working Tools The inclusion of various items related to the work of the scientist (such as formulas or numbers or a light bulb) in Catalan schoolchildren's drawings is a minority, but it helps to understand the vision they have about scientists. Some words or sentences can be found in many drawings (37%), also formulas and numbers, which give the mathematic vision of researchers. Books and notebooks are represented by 18% of the students. Although the students participating in the competition are all digital native, however, few computers are represented as tools for scientists to be used (only a 10% of the drawing sample). (d) Working Space Figure 4 Different working tools Are scientists working indoor or outdoor? This question is quite related to the scientific activity researchers are working on. From our sample, it can be rapidly observed that most researchers are working indoor (85%) while only a 15% of the students represent scientists performing some research outdoor. As it was mentioned, indoor work is related to the fact that many students represents scientist as someone researching in fields related to chemistry, thus the researcher is represented in a indoor lab. Figure 5 Outdoor Working (d) Attitude Not only the physical aspect of scientists is important, but also their attitude should be considered. Are scientists seen as people with a positive attitude? Are they dangerous, crazy, funny? After analyzing the attitudes from the complete sample, it can be summarized that children see scientists with more positive than negative attitude (48% in front of 5%). It is important to point out that still 11% of students represents scientist with crazy attitude.

6 (d) Danger or Benefit The last, but not least, item analyzed in the drawings is not directly related to the person of the scientist but to how children perceive science as an activity. Do they think that science is helpful? Or on the contrary, do they see science as something negative and helpless? In many drawings, the activity of the scientist seems not to be connected to a practical application. But, when there are applications, the 15% of students represent some element related to danger, Figure 6: Benefits of Science while only 5% represents some beneficial elements. It is important to point out that while scientist were represented mostly with a positive attitude (48%), science is not represented is the same way. One can find more elements related to danger than to benefits. In conclusion To summarize these findings, it can be observed that a scientist is mainly represented as someone basically a man- who works alone, often wearing a white coat. Most of them are devoted to chemistry, biology and environment, and his/her investigation is done inside a lab, surrounded by different types of tools. This classical view of science has little to do with the profiles of professionals that are engaged today in scientific research. These results are in quite good agreement with previous studies (Rodari 2007) performed in different European Countries (Check Republic, France, Italy, Portugal, Poland and Romania). Also, very recently, a similar study in Greece (Christidou 2010) was finding similar conclusions about the stereotype of researchers image. In general can be assumed that the drawings reflects basically how scientists are represented in fictional entertainment seen on TV, films, comics, books, video games and others (Segarra, 2007). The over-representation of men, for instance, has been detected in a high percentage of Hollywood movies (Weingart 2003). So basically children reflect what they see in the media. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS The lessons learned about the images of scientists can be used to define a number of key aspects to be considered by the communication actions looking for popularize science in society and promote a demystified image of researchers. Recommendation 1 : Make evident that women participate in science at the same level as men. There is a clear tendency to over represent men in the drawings. That could mean also that men are perceived as having the higher positions in research and academy staff. To balance this tendency we propose to make evident that women participate in science at the same level as men. This issue is particularly important in pictures and images, where still today some gender stereotypes tend to appear subconsciously in leaflets, posters, books and other visual communication elements. These stereotypes should be avoided carefully. Recommendation 2 : Make evident that science and research are not a lonely activity but a team work

7 Many drawings show a scientist working alone. Although this is a result strongly influenced by the question itself ( Dibuixa un científic o cientifica ) there are many reasons to think that this is also a common belief for many people. To make evident that science and research aren t a lonely activity but a team work is one of the goals we suggest for universities and research centers communication policies. Scientists work through nets highly irrigated of information, in a way cooperative and competitive at the same time. Science and R&D are also activities with a strong international dimension. To make evident this international team work dimension of research is a way to promote an attractive image of research, and this can particularly stimulate kids to follow a research career. Recommendation 3 : Make evident that scientific method is currently applied to all kind of disciplines. There is some risk that scientific method could be seen as a technique used almost only in traditional experimental sciences such as chemistry or physics. We think it s highly recommendable to make evident that scientific method is applied to all kind of disciplines, including Humanities and Socials sciences. This is important for several reasons, from offering a proper image of how knowledge is achieved to improve citizen s critic attitudes towards assumptions that need to be supported and contrasted by facts. Just to mention one example, a lot of experiments have been conducted in economy, giving a strong corpus of information on a number of issues that can help policy makers to take decisions. Recommendation 4: Make evident the benefits of research In many drawings, the activity of the scientist seems not to be connected to a practical application. Far from that, the scientist seems to be alone into his/her own world. But when a practical application is suggested, the negatives consequences outnumbered the positives. So it seems necessary to make evident the benefits of research, particularly in our daily common life. This idea is behind many policies, as the UE Science and Society policies, so we might insist in the necessity to persist and enhance them. Recommendation 5: Make evident that the scientist is a normal person. Linked to recommendation 4, is important to make evident what seems a very obvious issue: the scientist is part of the society and have the same problems, hobbies or expectations than the rest. The idea that the scientist is a sort of privileged mind that can work out of this world has negative implications since it enhance the vision of science as an activity out of social control and consequently potentially dangerous, as many films, books and fictional works have spread out. Recommendation 6: Make evident that the limits of the application of science and R+D should be defined by all society. Science in itself has no possible negative effects in society. Is the practical application of science knowledge what can hold a positive or a negative impact. Then, the effects of the practical application of science knowledge should be discussed at a social level by all citizens.

8 To promote this social debate could be an important issue of Universities and Research Centers communication and social responsibility policies. A number of initiatives have been taken to develop that goal, and not always with good results. So it s interesting to benchmark them and select the best practices to be adopted. Recommendation 7: A shift from communication to participation To undertake all these recommendations, from 1 to 6, the usual communication activities can benefit from the public engagement in science schemes, which addresses the direct participation of people (Bauer 2007). People can collect data, co-produce exhibits or be engaged in some aspect of science and research, as many experiences had pointed out. These could the best ways to understand what science really is and to overcome stereotypes. 5. CONCLUSIONS The main goal of this project is to analyse the drawing performed within the Researchers Night project (2009 and 2010). The results demonstrate which are the most frequent topics and stereotypes in the mind of citizens, in this case through the younger members of society. In addition to several personal visual elements (such as the use of white coat or crazy hair) there are several common features in the drawings analyzed. Some of the main conclusions are: Scientists have a mostly positive attitude and are friendly. Scientists are mainly devoted to chemistry, and secondly they are astronomers or biomedical researchers. Scientists are predominantly male. Scientists work alone, a few drawings reflect teamwork. Scientists work indoor in a laboratory. These findings suggest that children and young people basically reflect what they see in the fiction of comics, films, television... Following these first conclusions, we suggest that any program that aims to offer an image of the scientists close to reality should take into account these elements. In fact, these stereotypes suggest that universities and research institutes have room enough to promote certain values, in particular and among others, which can be summed up as: Research as a result of the teamwork of several researchers. Full inclusion of women in the world of research and its management The role of research beyond the experimental sciences, such as humanities and social sciences. Scientist is part of the society, and the benefits of research should be spread out Citizens could participate in dissemination and even in research activities.

9 REFERENCES Bauer, M. W., Allum, N., & Miller, S. (2007). What can we learn from 25 years of PUS survey research? Liberating and expanding the agenda. Public Understanding of Science, 16(1), Chambers, D.W. (1983) Stereotypic images of the scientist: The Draw-A-Scientist Test. Science Education, 67(2), Christidou V. (2010) Greek students images of scientific researchers, JCOM 09(03) Finson, K. D., Beaver, J. B., & Cramond, B. L. (1995). Development and field test of a checklist for the Draw-a-Scientist-Test. School Science & Mathematics, 95, Finson, K.D. (2002) Drawing a scientist: What we know and what we don t know after fifty years of drawings. School Science and Mathematics, 102(7): Rodari P. (2007) Science and scientists in the drawings of European children, JCOM 06(03). Segarra D. (2007) Several texts in El Científic dibuixat. Recerca en Acció website, Weingart, P. Muhl, C. & Pansegrau, P. (2003) Of power maniacs and unethical geniuses: science and scientists in fiction film. Public Understanding of Science, 12: