ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

 Kristy Sundberg is quite correct in her interpretation that the Draw-A-Scientist Test elicits an "icon" drawing of a scientist rather than a picture of what the respondent really thinks a scientist looks like and acts like. If you interview respondents (both kids and adults) during and after drawing, you'll find that their knowledge of the gender of a scientist, what a scientist wears, what tools a scientist uses, what environment a scientist works in are different from what they drew (i.e., white, male, lab-coated chemist with test tubes, with glasses and facial hair). The DAST results in a 'cartoon' and is not a valid test in the way that it has been used to establish trends across age levels. That said, I and others have used variations of DAST (with other methods) to test the effectiveness of educational interventions with mixed results. It's not a method that I would recommend or use again.
    Barbara N. Flagg, Ed.D.
 Director, Multimedia Research
 33 Browns Lane
 Bellport, NY 11713
 Ph: 631-286-8925
 [log in to unmask] 
________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email and IM. All on demand. Always Free.

***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]