Abstract

The research on the image of the scientist, as conceived by non-specialists (such as students and educators), has displayed a series of stereotypical characteristics in their representations of the members of the scientific community and the nature of their activity. The conceptions the educators handle of science and scientists play an important role in the construction of the students’ representations of these matters, as these conceptions form a ‘hidden curriculum’, which affects decisively their teaching practices. In this way, the educators who adopt stereotypical images of the scientists and their activity tend to have a negative impact on the students’ attitude towards science and scientists, which affects the future personal, professional and social choices of the students. The purpose of the present study is to explore the images of the scientist as they are depicted in the drawings of educators. In particular, this study aims to explore the extent to which the stereotypical model of the scientist is possessed by the educators and the type of activities considered scientific, according to educators’ sex, represented scientist’s sex and the level of education the educators are employed in. The interest of this study lies in the fact that there are hardly any other pieces of similar research conducted in Greece, although they would be necessary because they could become a decisive first step in designing teachers’ preparation programs (e.g. syllabus and educational material) in a way that the educators could form a more relevant, meaningful and egalitarian image of science and the scientist as well as improve their attitudes towards them. The methodology employed in data collection and analysis is a modified version of the ‘Draw A Scientist Test’ (‘DAST’, Chambers, 1983; She, 1998). The DAST was administered to ninety-five (95) educators of primary, secondary and tertiary education and vocational training. Each educator was originally asked to draw a male or female scientist in their workroom before they produced a second drawing representing a scientist of the opposite sex. The analysis of these drawings shows that the educators hold stereotypical images. Moreover, there are some interesting findings concerning the impact of educators’ sex and level of education they are employed in on the image of the scientist they hold as well as on the type of activities considered scientific.