Investigation of Secondary School Students’ Perceptions of Scientist in terms of Emotions: How is the Scientist in My Mind?

Investigation of Secondary School Students’ Perceptions of Scientist in terms of Emotions

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to determine the emotions that middle school students attribute to the images of scientists and to examine how students perceive scientists and how they explain the emotional aspects of these perceptions from a qualitative perspective. The research is based on qualitative methodology. The study group of the research was determined by convenience sampling in accordance with the purpose and model of the study. 44 girls and 48 boys aged between 11 and 13 participated in the research process. Emo-DAST wasused as a data source in the data collection process. The students were asked to draw the scientist in their minds, make explanations about the scientist they drew, and show clues to express their emotions. The data obtained from the research were analyzed with a descriptive analysis technique. At the end of the study, it was determined that students mostly attributed positive emotions to scientists. In conclusion, this study reveals how students perceive scientists emotionally and contributes to the literature on the image of scientists.