Stereotypes and Views of Science among Elementary Students: Gender and Grade Differences

Abstract

Several empirical studies reveal that students are poorly informed, and often hold stereotyped views of science and scientists. The present study aimed to investigate the Portuguese elementary school students' images of scientists and their work and the influence of gender and grade level on the development of these images. Two hundred and eighty-nine elementary school students enrolled in grades 1-5 in urban public schools participated in the study. Students were asked to draw a scientist and to answer questions about the drawing. The data collected were analyzed, considering three different features: stereotypical indicators, specialized research fields, and scientists' activity. Several descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed. Portuguese students tended to report the same stereotyped image of scientists described in other countries, and students' knowledge seems to be limited to a few fields of specialization and influenced by the pandemic context experienced during the DAST application. Moreover, the results showed differences according to the student's gender and grade level that may result, among other factors, from the influence of the atypical organization of the Portuguese education system in the first years of schooling.