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ERIC Number: EJ1377076
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0300-4279
EISSN: EISSN-1475-7575
Available Date: N/A
Students' Images of STEM Professionals: A Study in the Portuguese Context
Education 3-13, v51 n1 p121-141 2023
The shortage of students in STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics) areas is a global concern and one of the reasons why students do not want to pursue STEM careers is the unenthusiastic image that they have about STEM areas. This study aims to examine the images that 135 Portuguese elementary students (7-12 years old) have about STEM professionals. Data collection was performed using a draw-and-write instrument: the students were asked to draw someone that works in each STEM area, and to answer two questions: 'Where does that person work?' and 'What does that person do?'. Checklists, based on instruments previously described in the literature, were developed for each STEM discipline. A descriptive analysis of the results was made, and the statistically significant differences between male and female students' drawings were evaluated. The results show that students still retain stereotypical images of STEM professionals and have a lack of perception about the appearance and work that STEM professionals do. In conclusion, there is a demand for changes in teaching practices to change the erroneous and unrealistic impressions that students may have about STEM areas.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Portugal
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A