PRIMARY CHILDRENS CONCEPTIONS OF SCIENCE AND THE SCIENTIST - IS THE IMPACT OF A NATIONAL CURRICULUM BREAKING DOWN THE STEREOTYPE

Past research has shown that children hold images of scientists and th eir work which fit a stereotype of scientists as male, balding, bespec tacled and with a laboratory coat, working alone in a chemistry labora tory environment. Such stereotypes hale been shown to form early and s trategies intended to change perceptions may be applied too late and t oo narrowly. Researchers in several Westernized countries have identif ied this trend. Recently, there has been a suggestion that such images are becoming less stereotypical, at least in the UK. The major change in science education in the UK during this lime has been the introduc tion of a national curriculum. This study revisited primary children's views after a period of five years, using a common procedure (the Dra w-a-Scientist Test). During this period all the children had been taug ht science in line with the requirements of the English and Welsh Nati onal Curriculum Order for Science. We found that perceptions have not changed significantly over this period of time amongst primary school children, despite the imposition of the National Curriculum. Results i ndicated that there is still a gender biased stereotype and an unreali stic view of the scientists' work. The need to analyse carefully and c onservatively the data produced by such studies is emphasized and cons equences for other countries introducing national curricula are discus sed.