Knowing what your students think of science can play an important role in influencing your day-to-day lesson plans. This activity is designed to help you detect and describe secondary students' view of science. Three methods are described in this activity.
Materials
Drawing paper, pencils and crayons, copies of science survey instrument.
Procedure
Choose one of the methods and survey 10 - 15 students on their view of science. After you have surveyed the students, arrange a time where you can discuss the results of the survey with the students. (Note: this activity can also be carried out with a group of your teacher training peers.)
Minds-On Strategies
l. Summarize the results of the your method of investigation by analyzing and drawing conclusions from the drawings, perhaps by creating a poster of the drawings, or tabulating the results of the survey.
2. Compare the method you used with the other two methods. How do students view science? Do they have a positive view of science? What is their image of a scientist? How do students compare science and technology? What effect does science have on society? Society on science?
Method 1: The Essay. Have the students write an essay explaining what they think science is, and how scientist do their work. To help the students you might give them one of several sentence starters as a vehicle to begin. Some examples:
Method 2: The Drawing. Have students make a drawing of a scientist. Ask the students to show the scientist at work. You might also have the students write a brief statement explaining their drawing.
Scoring: (1 point for any of the following: lower score is a higher rating)
Method 3: The Questionnaire. Survey the viewpoints that middle and high school students hold on the following items. The items below are based on an instrument developed to survey Canadian high school students and has been modified for use here. Have a group of students respond to the items. Asterisk a different item on each student's questionnaire. Ask the student to write out reasons for their choice for that item. The purpose of each item is given in parentheses, which you do not need to include when you distribute the questionnaire to the students. The purpose of each item will be important when you analyze the results, however.
Instructions
Please check whether you agree or disagree with the following statements. If you cannot agree or disagree then check "can't tell" for the statement. For the item with an asterisk, please write the reasons for your choice.
1. In the USA, science and technology have little to do with each other. (Relationship between science and technology)
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell
2. In the USA, technology gets ideas from science and science gets new processes and instruments from technology.
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell
3. In order to improve the quality of living in the USA, it would be better to invest money in technological research rather than scientific research. (Science, technology and quality of life)
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell
4. Although advances in science and technology may improve living conditions in the USA and around the world, science and technology offer little help in resolving such social problems as poverty, crime, unemployment, overpopulation, and the threat of nuclear war. (Science, technology and social problems)
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell
5. Scientists and engineers should be given the authority to decide what types of energy the USA will use in the future (e.g. nuclear, hydro, solar, coal burning, etc.) because scientists and engineers are the people who know the facts best. (Technocratic and democratic decision making postures)
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell
6. The US government should give scientists research money only if the scientists can show that their research will improve the quality of living in the USA today. (Mission-oriented perspective)
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell
7. The US government should give scientists research money to explore the unknowns of nature and the universe. (The basic science perspective)
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell
8. Communities or government agencies should not tell scientists what problems to investigate because scientists themselves are the best judges of what needs to be investigated. (Role of government and communities in the choice of research problems)
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell
9. Science would advance more efficiently in the USA if it were more closely controlled by our government. (Government control of research)
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell
10. Science would advance more efficiently in the USA if it were independent of government influence.
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell
11. The political climate of the USA has little effect upon US scientists because they are pretty much isolated from US society. (Effect of political climate upon scientists)
_____agree _____disagree _____can't tell