Changes in Elementary Student Perceptions of Science, Scientists and Science Careers after Participating in a Curricular Module on Health and Veterinary Science.
This study examined to what extent a curriculum module that uses animal and human health scientists and science concepts to portray science and scientists in a relevant and authentic manner could enhance elementary students' aspiration for science careers, attitudes to science, positive perceptions of scientists, and perceived relevance of science. The curriculum was developed by a research-based university program and has been put into practice in two early elementary classrooms in an urban school in the Midwest. An attitudinal rating survey and the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) were used to assess pre to post changes in student attitudes toward science, perceptions of scientists, perceived relevance of science, and aspiration for science careers. Findings indicated that the implementation of this curriculum contributed positively to student attitudes toward science, decreased students' stereotypical images of scientists, and increased student aspirations to become a scientist.
Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on aggression and its targets. The concepts and categories devised for research affect the way the reality is investigated. By proposing the taxonomy, Moyer affected the way many researchers think about aggression, and the kinds of research they did. As the major concern of psychological science is with the behavior of individuals rather than groups, the topics such as racial violence, warfare, and political violence have been excluded. The chapter emphasizes the aggression-eliciting characteristics of people and other animals, and the traits that make the targets of aggressive behavior. Diverse strands are discussed by various authors in the chapter.