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Resource Detail: Journal Article

Resource Image The CSI Effect: Changing The Face of Science

By: Richard Jones and Arthur Bangert
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Details

Type of Resource: Journal Article
Average Rating: Rating
 based on 2 - 9 / 4.5 reviews
Publication Title: Science Scope
Publication Date: 11/1/2006
Volume and Issue: Vol 030 Issue 03
Pages: 5
Grade Level: Middle School

Description

Until recently, the vast majority of female student images of scientists were versions of white males working alone in laboratory settings (Barman et al. 1997). As a result, the authors asked the question, “What phenomenon is responsible for the recent change in female students’ mental images of scientists?” They suggest that the popular Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) television series and other television programming have greatly influenced how students, especially female students, perceive scientists at work. Evidence for the “CSI effect” was found in drawings from 388 middle school students asked to participate in the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) activity. The procedures and results of this fascinating study are described in this article.

Ideas For Use

The authors of this article encourage teachers in the United States and overseas to use the DAST and the DAST-CR to measure the perceptions of scientists for their own students and to share those results with them as they attempt to uncover the factors that influence female middle school perceptions of scientists. Awareness of these factors will be important for informing the media, schools, and professional organizations about the efforts they can make to portrary scientists as a more diverse and less stereotyped group of professionals.

Discussions

Encouraging Girls into Love of Science
Posted in General Science and Teaching by Tina Harris on Wed Aug 03, 2011 7:38 PM

Kendra, do you mean the articles on DAST (Draw A Scientist Test) activity. I have attached some articles I found below a...
My Favorite NSTA Resource
Posted in General Science and Teaching by Carolyn Mohr on Mon Jun 13, 2011 2:44 PM

Hi Brandie, Kathy, and other Thread Participants, I, too, love the Draw A Scientist activity. I just wanted to post my...

Additional Info

Science Discipline: (mouse over for full classification)
Careers
Intended User Role:Curriculum Supervisor, Middle-Level Educator, Teacher
Educational Issues:Assessment of students, Classroom management, Cultural awareness, Educational research, Equity, Inquiry learning, Instructional materials, Professional development, Student populations: Gender, Teacher content knowledge, Teacher preparation, Teaching strategies

Technical

Resource Format:application/pdf
Size:179 KB
Requirements:Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader


National Standards Correlation

This resource has 7 correlations with the National Standards.  
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This resource has 7 correlations with the National Standards.  
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  • History and Nature of Science
    • Science as a human endeavor
      • Many people choose science as a career and devote their entire lives to studying it.
  • Process Standards for Professional Development
    • Research-Based
      • Prepares educators to apply research to decision making. (NSDC)
      • Use inquiry, reflection, interpretation of research, modeling, and guided practice to build understanding and skill in science teaching. (NSES)
      • Connect and integrate all pertinent aspects of science and science education. (NSES)
      • Address teachers' needs as learners and build on their current knowledge of science content, teaching, and learning. (NSES)
    • Learning
      • Build on the teacher's current science understanding, ability, and attitudes. (NSES)
      • Applies knowledge about human learning and change. (NSDC)

User Reviews

We've got some work to do!
  Anthony O'Bannon on February 20, 2012
  This article sheds some light on the age old misconceptions of scientists some of which are being propagated today. The article gave me ideas to use with the students in my school. It also triggered some new ideas of my own. A must read!

Did CSI Alter Female Students' Scientist Views?
  Carolyn Mohr (Buffalo Grove, IL) on June 13, 2011
  This article attempts to explain the assumption that today’s female students have a new view of what a scientist should look like. Exchanging the stereotypical Einstein-type images that do not portray girls actively engaged in scientific endeavors to mental images of TV portrayals of females doing science (through programs like CSI, Bones, and Crossing Jordan). The authors conducted a study to duplicate the “Draw A Scientist Test (DAST) from 1983. The newer study was composed of a convenience sample of 265 students in grades 7, 9, and 11. These students were part of an eMSS (electronic Mentoring for Student Success) National Science Foundation (NSF) –funded program. Another conclusion that the authors drew was that the middle school girls in their study had a more balanced global view of scientists in terms of gender. The authors are quick to point out that there are many other plausible explanations for the results they documented, and they invite others to conduct similar studies using the DAST. The article provides a URL link to the study.


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