| Abstract: | Summary Children hold a wide range of ideas about what science is, but boys tend to have very stereotyped ideas about scientists, exclusively depicting them as male and often seeing in science something weird or magical — this is the antithesis of what science claims to be, and yet it is easy to see how the ideas can become fused or confused. Girls in this study did not see science as an exclusively male preserve and are more likely to view science in a ‘realistic’ way than are boys. In interviews with the teachers of these children (all women) awareness of the need to avoid gender stereotyping was expressed. This study shows that among their girl pupils at least, their attempts are beginning to bear fruit. |
