Although there has been some success with programmes that aim to increase STEM involvement by women and underserved minorities, science educators continue to seek ways to promote students' interest in STEM. This study builds on social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and the theory of enclothed cognition to assess the impact of wearing lab coats on…

Although policy makers have made gains in getting students to consider future careers in science, women and many minorities are still underrepresented in science fields. Here we describe research conducted with fifth grade students in a rural area of the southeastern U.S. that examined students' concepts of scientists' characteristics. The results…

To reduce curricular fragmentation in science education, reform recommendations include using common, unifying themes such as scaling to enhance curricular coherence. This study involved 215 participants from five groups (grades 5, 7, 9, and 12, and doctoral students), who completed written assessments and card sort tasks related to their…