Campus Location
Abilene Campus
Date of Award
Spring 5-6-2022
Document Type
Manuscript
Department
Teacher Education
Degree Name
Master of Education in Teaching and Learning
First Advisor
Dana Mayhall
Second Advisor
Andrew Huddleston
Abstract
This action research study examined how implementation of diverse instruction of scientists within a secondary astronomy course could affect students’ perceptions of scientists and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers. The study also looked at how the intervention could influence students’ perceptions of themselves as scientists. The researcher collected data through surveys, focus group interviews, student artifacts, and fieldnotes. Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, and qualitative data was analyzed through the constant comparative method. The three major themes which emerged are representation matters, humanization of scientists, and you don’t have to be a scientist to enjoy science. Quantitative results suggested the intervention resulted in a less stereotypical perspective on scientists and STEM careers. The researcher displayed findings through poetic transcriptions and graphs.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Rubey, Sydney, "“Anyone Can Be a Scientist”: Examining the Influence of Diverse Scientist Representation on High School Students’ Perceptions of Science and STEM Careers" (2022). Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning. 59.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/metl/59