Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Perception of scientists'

While science subjects intrigue a large percentage of young students, the numbers continually drop over the course of pre-college exposure to the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) topics. Therefore this study was designed to assess the effectiveness of ‘One Touch' STEM education programs in changing students' perception of STEM and/or scientists. It in particular asks if it affects one gender or age more than another. The results indicated that 1ˢᵗ grade students began with the least ability to identify with STEM and scientists (with pre-survey questions averaging 2.13 on a scale indicating ‘positive identification' while 5ᵗʰ, 8ᵗʰ, and 11ᵗʰ grade students averaged 2.45, 2.32, and 2.42, respectively) and also showed the greatest potential for change (with an average change of 42.34% while 5ᵗʰ, 8ᵗʰ, and 11ᵗʰ grade students averaged 30.25%, 24.15%, and 26.70%, respectively). The results also showed that female students began with the least ability to identify with STEM and scientists (with pre survey questions averaging 2.30 while male students averaged 2.42), and showed a greater potential for change (with an average change of 31.97% while male students averaged 24.55%). Results of this study suggest that STEM education should begin early and address gender stereotypes. With this information, STEM advocates in Tucson will be able to better utilize funding and understand their target populations.

Percevoir signifie recevoir une information, la prendre en compte, la confronter aux données de notre mémoire et la traiter selon nos modes de raisonnement puis tirer de l’image ainsi formée une conséquence c’est-à-dire un acte. Pour approcher la perception de l’islam par les élites françaises entre 1830 et 1914 nous avons donc dans un premier Livre fait une compilation des présentations que les élites dites « d’érudition » : historiens, écrivains, religieux, linguistes, philologues, artistes, faisaient de l’islam ; des données qu’ils pouvaient recevoir de leur mémoire puisque l’on glosait sur l’islam depuis Pierre le Vénérable ; et des modes de raisonnement qui caractérisaient l’époque en étudiant l’évolution du sens des concepts de civilisation, de race, d’économie politique. Nous avons ensuite, dans un deuxième Livre essayé de comprendre comment et pourquoi l’image ainsi formée avait abouti à la colonisation de terres islamiques par des hommes politiques, leurs conseillers, leurs soutiens, des officiers, des industriels, des financiers, et des administrateurs. Enfin, dans un troisième Livre, nous avons tenté de suivre jusqu’à nos jours les jugements portés sur ces travaux orientalistes. Il nous semble que le traitement d’une image, au départ volontairement tronquée, par des hommes persuadés que les techniques - balbutiantes - des sciences de la nature pouvaient être appliquées aux sciences humaines a conduit à une incompréhension de deux mondes
Perceiving means to receive an information, to take it into account, to compare this information with the data from our memory, to process it according to our ways of thinking and then to pull from the image thus formed a consequence, that is to say: an act. To approach the perception of Islam by the French elites between 1830 and 1914, we initially, in our first book, made a compilation of presentations that "scholarship" elites - historians, writers, religious, linguists, philologists, artists - made of Islam; of the data they could receive from their memory, since we talked about Islam since Peter the Venerable; and of these ways of thinking that characterized the era by studying the evolution of the meaning of concepts like civilization, race, and political economy. We then, in a second book attempted to understand how and why the thus formed image had resulted in the colonization of Islamic lands by politicians, their advisors, their supporters, officers, industrialists, investors and administrators. Finally, in a third book, we tried to follow to this day the judgements that are made about these orientalist works. It seems to us that the process of an image, deliberately, and from the beginning, truncated by men convinced that early techniques of natural science could be applied to human sciences has led to a misunderstanding of both worlds

Thesis advisor: George M. Barnett
Lifelong science learning is important for making informed decisions on science topics, and there is a need to engage broader and more diverse audiences with science. One opportunity for engagement occurs when students share science topics with a public audience. Research indicates this interaction can have benefits for students, but little is known about the impact it may have on audience members’ thoughts about science. Youth are different from typical sources of science information, and may elicit different reactions. This dissertation examines the impact youth sources may have on adults’ perceptions of and responses to science topics. Young adults (N = 399) were randomly assigned to one of two scenarios. Both scenarios stated two individuals would describe research they had done about local air quality on the news. One scenario identified the individuals as local high school students, and the other as research scientists from a local institution. Dependent variables included perceptions of the warmth and competence of the presenters, expectations of the quality of the information they would share, willingness to take action based on that information, and general trust in scientists. A subset of participants (N=22) was selected for cognitive interviews and asked to explain the thoughts that influenced their survey responses. Results showed multiple reactions to the scenario. Three groups were identified in the perceptions data: one expressed trust in the presenters, one expressed skepticism, and one based their perceptions on personal experiences doing science. Participants said intertwined thoughts about trust in scientists and assumptions about the presenters’ intentions influenced perceptions, with an overall assumption that youth would have good intentions while adults might not. Participants did not appear to separate their expectations of the information from the people who would share it. However, their willingness to take action was related to the action, not the presenter or information. Findings suggest youth may be an avenue for engaging individuals who have lower trust in typical science information sources. Implications for science education and communication are discussed
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction

The focus of this research was to evaluate if differences exist in the racial identity profiles and perceptions of scientists held by 48 Black college students majoring in science (n = 17) and non-science (n = 31) fields. The study was conducted at a large, pre-dominantly White university located in the south. All participants completed the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS) and Draw-a-Scientist Test (DAST); measures used to assess six subscales of individuals? racial identity development (RID) and 16 stereotypical conceptions of scientists respectively. Fourteen volunteers also completed one-on-one interviews with the researcher to discuss information that would elucidate their responses to survey instruments. Findings from the CRIS revealed that significant differences did not exist in the science majors? and non-science majors? racial identity profiles. Both groups expressed strongest agreement with views reflected in Internalization Multiculturalist Inclusive (IMCI) and Pre-Encounter Miseducation (PM) subscales. Conversely, the science majors and non-science majors exhibited least agreement with attitudes depicted in Immersion ? Emersion Anti-White (IEAW) and Pre-Encounter Self-Hatred (PSH) subscales. Results from the DAST demonstrated that both groups illustrated similar perceptions of scientists as observed by an average of four of the 16 stereotypes expressed in their images.

Objectives: This study aims to gain an understanding of how current trainee counselling psychologists perceive the scientist-practitioner model. Design: This is a qualitative piece of research grounded in a social constructionist perspective. Two focus groups were conducted lasting 60 minutes at two UK universities. An online survey was also conducted to capture additional views. Method: 29 trainees participated in the study. 15 trainees on counselling psychology doctorate programmes took part in face-to-face focus groups whilst 14 trainees from doctorate programmes or the independent route responded to an online survey. The data collected were analysed using Braun and Clarke (2006) thematic analysis. Findings: Five main themes were identified in relation to the scientist-practitioner model: The Nature of Counselling Psychology, The Nature of Being a Counselling Psychologist, The Nature of Science, What Counts as Evidence, and What Happens in the Therapy Room. Conclusions: Much of the ambiguity and tensions in the literature were present in the views of participants. Three views emerged: the model as a spectrum, the model as two complementary roles, and the model as a toolbox. These views are explored and then implications for practice and possible directions for future research are outlined.

The scientist-practitioner model has been widely espoused as the optimum model of professional training and practice for clinical psychologists and increasingly, the related professions of counselling psychology and counselling. However, it has also proved to be contentious regarding the extent to which it reflects or informs the realities of professional practice. This debate has taken on a new meaning in the current health care climate with the increasing emphasis on using research to achieve evidence-based practice'. This study explores clinical psychologists', counselling psychologists' and counsellors' beliefs about the scientist-practitioner model. Key themes relevant to this, and the related areas of theory, research and clinical formulation, were identified through in-depth, qualitative interviews and then tested further by using a survey instrument devised to reflect these themes. The results suggested differences between the professional groups in beliefs about research and the scientist-practitioner model and also indicated the influence of work setting. Differences in idiosyncratic definition of the scientist-practitioner model also emerged, which appeared to be related to beliefs about its value. Implications for training and professional practice are discussed and the contribution of the study to the existing literature and wider debate are reviewed.

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Cine can be considered a way of expression and it has been recognized as a source of investigation in scholar environment. Comercial movies are instruments that enable the sociocultural formation of the students, from which it is possible to develop the habit of watching movies, contextualize programmatic content, promote discussions about a given subject, among others. Thinking about possibilities of discussing a movie in class, we chose a classic of the cinema, Frankenstein, which presents different adaptations from the novel to cine and other medias. To choose the displayed movies in class, we stablished criteria like: rating, main plot of the experiment performed by Frankenstein, similarly with the romance written by Mary Shelley. After analyzing the movies, ―Frankenstein‖ (1931) and ―Frankenstein de Mary Shelley‖ (1994) were selected and taken to class. Both movies were watched by the students of a high school full-time students. Afterwards, the students wrote in a sheet of paper the scenes of direct relation with Science. After a week, we had groups for discussion groups to identify the way the students had noticed the same aspects described in the paper. We analyzed the students writing by the method Analise do Discurso according to Orlandi (2012). While in the speech analysis, the same highlighted elements were identified after the analysis of the films, such as: the film; the creature; intertextuality; the role of the woman; historical context; science, scientist and experiment. In the analysis we seek, through Vygostky, to identify the students' perception about each of the topics covered. The students brought different concerns and observations during the discussions. Frankenstein was considered the main scientist, being criticized and considered by some as guilty, for all that happened to him, while others looked for the explanation for his acts in Science. He was described as an inventor, madman or simply an enthusiast. His psychological characteristics were not forgotten, called selfish over and over again for having abandoned his creation. Reality and fiction were confused, just as Science was misinterpreted as a process of intuition and luck. The naive and neutral view of Science was present, although there were those who disagreed with this image. We realized that it is possible to carry out wide classroom discussions about the production of scientific knowledge, from films that have in their Science theme, as is the case with Frankenstein. We believe that to produce scientific knowledge is to know how to listen and to recognize the potential of each student present in a classroom, after all, each human being is unique, has its experiences and its stories and, from that, they construct their perceptions, including those of Science and scientists
O cinema pode ser considerado uma forma de expressão que tem sido reconhecido como uma fonte de investigação no ambiente escolar. Os filmes comerciais são instrumentos que possibilitam a formação sociocultural dos estudantes, pois a partir deles pode-se desenvolver o hábito de ver filmes, contextualizar conteúdos programáticos, promover discussões sobre determinado tema, entre outros. Pensando na possibilidade de discutir filmes em sala de aula, escolhemos um clássico, Frankenstein, que apresenta diferentes adaptações do romance para cinema. Para a escolha dos filmes exibidos em sala de aula, estabelecemos critérios como: classificação indicativa; como enredo principal o experimento realizado por Frankenstein; semelhança com o romance escrito por Mary Shelley. Após a etapa de análise dos filmes, ―Frankenstein‖ (1931) e ―Frankenstein de Mary Shelley‖ (1994) foram selecionados e levados para sala de aula. Ambos foram assistidos pelos estudantes que deveriam observar as relações sobre Ciência e cientistas. Logo após a exibição, os estudantes escreveram em uma folha as cenas que acreditavam ter relação direta com a Ciência. Na semana seguinte, realizamos grupos de discussão para identificarmos a forma como os estudantes haviam percebido os aspectos descritos nas folhas. Para analisar a escrita dos estudantes, utilizamos como metodologia a Análise do Discurso segundo Orlandi (2012). Enquanto na análise das falas foram identificados os mesmos elementos destacados previamente, como: o filme; a criatura; intertextualidade; o papel da mulher; contexto histórico; ciência, cientista e experimento. Nas análises, buscamos identificar a percepção dos estudantes sobre cada um dos temas abordados. Os estudantes trouxeram diferentes inquietações e observações durante as discussões. Frankenstein foi identificado como o cientista principal, sendo criticado e considerado, por alguns, como culpado, por tudo que lhe aconteceu, enquanto outros buscaram na Ciência a explicação para seus atos. Ele foi descrito como um inventor, louco ou simplesmente um entusiasta. Suas características psicológicas não foram esquecidas, sendo chamado de egoísta inúmeras vezes por ter abandonado sua criação. Realidade e ficção foram confundidas, assim como a Ciência foi interpretada de maneiras equivocadas, entendida como um processo de intuição e de sorte. A visão ingênua e neutra da Ciência esteve presente, apesar de ter aqueles que discordavam dessa imagem. Percebemos que é possível realizar amplas discussões em sala de aula sobre a produção do conhecimento científico, a partir de filmes que tenham em sua temática Ciência, como Frankenstein. Acreditamos que produzir conhecimento científico é saber ouvir e reconhecer o potencial de cada estudante presente em uma sala de aula, afinal, cada ser humano é único, possui suas vivências e suas histórias, e é a partir disso que constroem suas percepções, incluindo as de Ciência e cientistas.

Japan, a country dependent on science and technology for economic gains, is faced with a shrinking workforce in science-related fields due to an aging population, reduced interest in science and falling enrolments in university science courses. There is a growing need to increase young people's involvement in science and to encourage them to follow a science -related career path.

Students' perceptions of science and scientists are said to influence their choices regarding study and career paths. This study investigated the perceptions of science and scientists held by Japanese year ten high school students. Four hundred and four students answered questions on their opinions of science, scientists and themselves, as well as their school science results, and their intention to enrol in a university science course and follow a science -related career. Students also completed the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) to identify the presence of "stereotypical" images of scientists.

The results indicated that students felt science is somewhat difficult, but also slightly exciting, practical, good, constructive, and somewhat useful. Students also felt that scientists are very intelligent, somewhat imaginative and diligent, slightly moral and open-minded, but also slightly selfish and somewhat introverted.

The so-called stereotypical image of a scientist, found to be present among students of various countries, ages and backgrounds, was also present among the students in this study.

The study also found that there are differences in how students perceive science and scientists, depending on the student's gender, school, and whether or not they imagine their own character to be similar to, or different from that of a scientist. Most notably, the likelihood of a student pursuing science at university or as a career is strongly dependent on the student's gender, with far more males than females showing a desire to be involved in science.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007.
Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-11, Section: A, page: 4653. Adviser: Fouad Abd-El-Khalick. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-157) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

This study aimed to explore whether entertainment television can increase the public’s engagement with science. The motivation for the study was the 2010 Inspiring Australia report, a national strategic plan to engage the Australian public with science. One of the ‘key principles’ stated in Inspiring Australia was the need to strengthen the media’s role in communicating science, including entertainment television. However, there has been little empirical research into how adults engage with the science content in entertainment television shows to validate (or to refute) the effectiveness of this key principle. In order to investigate whether and how entertainment television has influenced audiences’ perceptions of science and scientists, I chose the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory as a case study since it is scientifically accurate and its main characters are scientists. Data were collected using 18 focus groups with 74 regular viewers of the show. Overall the program made science seem less dry and more interesting to the participants, and made scientists seem less socially isolated, humanising them. It positioned science and scientists as part of society rather than separate from it. With respect to whether the show influenced people’s information seeking behaviours related to science, and science knowledge, personal experiences had a larger impact than watching The Big Bang Theory. However, the show did stimulate some people to find out more about the science information the show presented, and responses demonstrated that people can learn about aspects of the nature of science from watching entertainment television. Participants felt the scientist characters in The Big Bang Theory both conformed to and contradicted their preconceived images of scientists and their understanding of scientist stereotypes. They were surprised the characters had personal lives and romantic relationships, and as a result, felt scientists were more approachable. Participants indicated their frustration that the female scientist characters were introduced and written as love interests, but appreciated that they were shown as successful scientists too. People had mixed feelings about them being mainly in the biological sciences (rather than being physicists and engineers, like the main male characters), but indicated that on television, good value entertainment was more important than portraying gender balance in science. Although the participants indicated that the science content in The Big Bang Theory was an important contributor to their enjoyment of and interest in the program, they also asserted that relatability, characters, humour, and geek culture references were equally or sometimes more important. However, people cared strongly about scientific accuracy even if the science was being treated as secondary or used as a backdrop of the show. In summary, some audiences of The Big Bang Theory engaged actively with its science content and changed their views of scientists. Therefore, it is possible to use entertainment television to reach people who are not actively seeking science-related content, because if it doesn’t just focus on science it makes the show - and therefore the science - more accessible for the public.

This thesis argues that technological pervasiveness and rapid change effects shape the current context of education. It proposes that these effects are potentially transformative and may result in radical departures from traditional approaches to education in the near future. Perceptions of that future form the focus of the research. The concept of a "forty-year present" is used to represent a small window of time surrounding the present in which it is reasonable to conduct such discussion. A futurist approach to research is presented, and an iterative, Internet-based survey technique is used to gather some narrative data about educational futures from a small body of respondents with an interest in computer science education. The research approach itself is evaluated as part of the work and some recommendations for future Internet-based techniques are raised as a result. The data is used to generate an account of 37 futures issues raised by the respondent community, and to derive a list of 19 broad priorities for the future.

abstract: This thesis examines the role of the media and popular culture in defining the shape and scope of what we think of today as "science." As a source of cognitive authority the scientific establishment is virtually beyond dispute. The intellectual clout of science seemingly elevates it to a position outside the influence of the general population. Yet in reality the emergence and evolution of the public sphere, including popular culture, has had a profound impact on the definition and application of science. What science is and how it relates to the life of the ordinary person are hardly static concepts; the public perception of science has been molding its boundaries since at least the 18th century. During the Enlightenment "natural philosophy" was broadly accessible and integrated nicely with other forms of knowledge. As the years passed into the 19th century, however, science became increasingly professionalized and distinct, until the "Two Cultures" had fully developed. The established scientific institution distanced itself from the nonscientific community, leaving the task of communicating scientific knowledge to various popularizers, who typically operated through the media and often used the mantle of science to further their own social or political agendas. Such isolation from orthodox science forced the public to create an alternate form of science for popular consumption, a form consisting mainly of decontextualized facts, often used in contrast to other forms of thought (i.e. religion, art, or pseudoscience). However, with the recent advent of "Web 2.0" and the increasing prominence of convergence culture, the role of the public sphere is undergoing a dramatic revolution. Concepts such as "collective intelligence" are changing consumers of information into simultaneous producers, establishing vast peer networks of collaboration and enabling the public to bypass traditional sources of authority. This new hypermobility of information and empowerment of the public sphere are just now beginning to break down science's monolithic status. In many ways, it seems, we are entering a new Enlightenment.
Dissertation/Thesis
M.A. English 2012