Amauri Betini BARTOSZECK, Flavio Kulevicz BARTOSZECK

Brazilian Primary and Secondary School Pupils´ Perception of Science and Scientists

The purpose of this study is to understand in an exploratory way pupils´ perception of science and the image of scientists at primary and secondary school levels. Data was collected by means of a survey questionnaire and a drawing representing pupils´ depiction what scientists do during their working hours. A questionnaire anchored on a Likert scale was filled by 204 primary and 229 secondary school children. Pupils from this sample considered science classes enjoyable, helped to understand issues covered by media, that science is a body of knowledge whose goal is to make life more comfortable to people. A total of 433 drawings were collected at 3 urban and 1 rural schools. Drawings illustrated scientists in scientific activity, mainly working alone, wearing lab coat and eyeglasses. Scientific specialization included chemists, biologists and a few technologist and astronomers. Educational implications are discussed

Keywords:

Scientist image, science, questionnaire drawings, pupils,

PDF

___

Alvagrenga, A. T. de, Sommerman, A., Alvarez, A. M. de S. (2005). Congressos internacionais sobre transdisciplinaridade: reflexões sobre emergências e convergências de idéias e idéias na direção de uma nova ciência moderna. Saúde e Sociedade, 14(3): 22-41 (transdisciplinarity and new science).
Ardigó, F. [Ed.] (2011). Histórias de uma ciência regional. São Paulo: EditoraContexto (Science regional history).
Azevedo, F. de, [Ed.] (1955). As ciências no Brasil. São Paulo : Edições Melhoramentos, volume , I:7-412; II:10-399 (Science in Brazil).
Barman, C. R. (1996). How students really view science and scientists? Science and Children, 34(1): 30-33.
Bartoszeck, A. B., Czelusniak, F., Tunnicliffe, S. D. (2014). Animals in Brazilian children´s lives: a preliminary study. Trends in Advanced Science and Engineering, 11(10:16-26.
Bartoszeck, A. B., Cosmo, C. R., Silva, B. R. da, Tunnicliffe, S. D. (2015). Concept of plants hold by young Brazilian children. European Journal of Educational Research, 4(3): 105-107.
Bizzo, N. (2002) Ciências: fácil ou difícil? São Paulo: Editora Ática (Is Science easy or difficult to understand?).
Bodzin, A., Gehringer, M. (2001). Breaking science stereotypes. Science and Children, 38(4):36-41.
Brasil, (1997). Parâmetros curriculares nacionais. Ciências naturais, Brasília: Ministério de Educação, 4:1-90 (national science curriculum).
Brasil, (2015). Guia de livros didáticos-PNLD, Biologia: ensino médio. Brasília:Ministério de Educação, 60p. (Textbook in Biology for the secondary school).
Buldu, M. (2006). Young children´s perceptions of scientists: a preliminary study. Educational Research, 48(1): 121-132.
Chambers, D. W. (1983). Stereotypic images of the scientist: the draw-a-scientist test. Science Education, 67(2):255-265.
Choi, K., Cho, H-H. (2002). Effects of teaching ethical issues on Korean school students´ attitudes towards science. Journal of Biological Education, 37(1): 26-30.
Clegg, M. T., Beck, De (2017). The role of science, technology innovation, and partnerships in the future of USAID. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Cokadar, H., Kulce, C. (2008). Pupils´ attitudes towards science: A case of Turkey. World Applied Sciences Journal, 3(1):102-109.
Cox, M. (1997). Drawings of people by the under-5s. London: Palmer Press.
Cross, R. T. (1999). The public understanding of science: implications for education. International Journal of Science Education, 21(7): 699-702.
Curi, R. (2004). The evolution of Brazilian science. The Biochemist, 4:51-52.
Dewitt, J.; Archer, L., Osborne, J. (2012). Nerdy, brainy and normal: children´s and parents constructions of those who are highly engaged with science, Research in Science Education, 43(4):1455-1476.
Farland-Smith, D. (2017). The evolution of the analysis of the draw-a-scientist test. In: Katz, P. [Ed.] (2017), Drawing for science education: an international perspective. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, p.171-178.
Freire-Maia, N. (1997). A ciência por dentro. Petrópolis: Editora Vozes (Inside Science).
Fung, Y. Y. H. (2002). A comparative study of primary and secondary school students´ images of scientists. Research in Science & Technological Education, 29(2):199-213.
Herculano-Houzel, S. (2002). Do you know your brain? A survey on public neuroscience literacy at the closing of the decade of the brain. The Neuroscientist, 8(2):98-110.
Jarvis, T., Inigo, G., Moyano, M. Gonzalez, P. (2003). Children´s perceptions of science and scientists: an international comparison. ICASE-International Council of Associations for Science Education World Conference, Penang-Malaysia.
Konflanz, T. L., Scheid, N. M. J. (2011). Concepção de cientista no ensino fundamental. Ensino de Ciências e Tecnologia em Revista, 1(1):70-83 ( Conception of a scientist in the primary school).
Koren, P., Bar, V. (2009). Perception of the image of scientists by Israeli student teachers from two distinct communities in Israel: Arabs and Jews. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 5(4): 347-356.
Kosminsky, L., Giordan, M. (2002). Visões de ciências e sobre o cientista entre estudantes do ensino médio. Química Nova na Escola, 15:11-18 (secondary pupils views of science and scientists).
Lannes, D., Rumjanek, V. M., Velloso, A., de Méis, L. (2002). Brazilian schools: comparing student´s interests with what is being taught. Educational Research, 44(2): 157-179.
Marandino, M., Selles, S. E., Ferreira, M. S., Amorim, A. C. R. de (2005) [Ed.] Ensino de Biologia: conhecimentos e valores em disputa. Niterói: Editora Universidade Federal Fluminense (Teaching Biology: knowledge and values).
Matthews, B. (1996). Drawing scientists. Gender and Education, 8(2):231-243.
Mead, M., Metraux, R. (1957). The image of the scientist among high school students: a pilot study. Science, 126(3269):384-390.
Meis, L. de , Rodrigues, P. S., Fonseca, L. G., Leite, M.F. E. S., Lannes, D. (1994). El impacto del desarrolo de la ciencia en elo planeta. Enseñanza y desarrolo de las ciencias: Que hacer? Chile: Centro de Estudios Científicos de Santiago.
Meis, L. de (2002). Ciência, educação e o conflito humano-tecnológico. 2ª. ed., São Paulo: Editora Senac (Science, education and the human & technology conflict).
Meis, L. de, Leta, J. (1997). Modern science and the explosion of new knowledge. Biophysical Chemistry, 68:243-253.
Meis, L. de, Machado, R. de C. P., Lustosa, P., Soares, V. R., Caldeira, M. T., Fonseca, L. (1993). The stereotyped image of the scientists among students of different countries: evoking the alchemist? Biochemical Education, 21(2): 75-81.
Mordi, C. (1991). Factors associated with pupils´ attitudes towards science in Nigerian primary schools. Research in Science and Technological Education, 9(1): 39-49.
Newton, D. , Newton, L. (1992). Young children’s perceptions of science and the scientist. International Journal of Science Education, 14(3): 331-348.
Okebukola, P. A. O., Jegede, O. J. (1990). Eco-cultural influences on students´ concept attainment in science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27(7):661-669.
Oliveira, A. J. A. de (2004). Quem é o cientista? AOL-Educação, p.1-2 (Who is a scientist?).
Ozgelen, S. (2017). Primary school student´s views on science and scientists. In: Katz, P. [Ed.] (2017). Drawings for Science Education. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, p. 191-203.
Piccolo, L. da R., Arteche, A. X., Fonseca, R. P. et al., (2016). Influence of family socioeconomic status on IQ, language, memory and executive function of Brazilian children. Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica, 29:29-33.
Price, J. F. (2017). Understanding the meanings secondary Biology students construct around science through drawings. In: Katz, P. [Ed.] Drawings for Science Education. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers, p. 205-215.
Razera, J. C. C. (2011). Ética no ensino de ciências: atitudes e desenvolvimento moral nas controvérsias. (Science education: from research to practice, Ph D dissertation, UNESP University, São Paulo, 236p.).
Reis, P., Rodrigues, S., Santos, F. (2006). Concepções sobre cientistas em alunos do 1o. Ciclo de ensino básico: poções, máquinas, monstros, invenções e outras coisas malucas. Revista Electrónica de Ensenãnza de las Ciencias, 5(1):51-74 (conceptions of scientists by primary school pupils).
Rodrigues, P. S., De Meis, L. (1996). Challenges for science education in the western hemisphere: a Brazilian perspective. In: Annals of the Symposium: 20th century science beyond the metropolis, p.247-257. Paris: ORSTOM.
Rubin, E., Bar, V., Cohen, A. (2003). The images of scientists and science among Hebrew-and Arabic-speaking pre-service teachers in Israel, International Journal of Science Education, 25(7):821-246.
Samaras, G., Bonoti, F., Christidou, V. (2012). Exploring children´s perception of scientists through drawings and interviews. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46:1541-1546.
Siqueira, D. C. O. (2005). Superpoderosos, submissos: os cientistas na animação televisiva. In: Massarani, L. [Ed.] O pequeno cientista amador: divulgação científica e o público infantil. Rio de Janeiro: Vieira & Lent, p.23-32 ( Powerful scientists and TV: learning to be a scientist).
Sjoberg, S. (2000). Science and scientists: the SAS-study, cross-cultural evidence and perspectives and perceptions. Acta Didactica, 1:3-71.
Sjoberg, S. (2002). Science and technology education current challenges and possible solutions. In: Jenkins, E. [Ed]. Innovations in Science and technology educcation, 8:5-102.
Soares, J. L. (1995). O rastro da vida: uma pequena história de bilhões de anos. São Paulo: Editora Moderna (The path of life during billon years).
Schwartzman, S. (2016). Educação e trabalho em Ciência & Tecnologia. Revista Ciência Hoje, 337:30-35 ( Education and Science and Tecnology).
Symington, D., Boundy, K., Ratford, T., Walton, J. (1981). Children´s drawings of natural phenomena. Research in Science Education, 11(1):44-51.
Tolentino, M., Rocha-Filho, R. C., Silva, R. R. de (1995). O azul do planeta: um retrato da atmosfera terrestre (A picture of Earth atmosphere).
Tunnicliffe, S. D. (2013). Talking and doing science in the early yeras: a practical guide for ages 2-7. Abingdon: Routledge.