科普讀物閱讀活動對四年級學童的科學家意象之影響

Influence of Reading Activities Involving Popular Science Books on Fourth Grade Students’ Image of Scientists

本文探討科普讀物閱讀活動對學童的科學家意象之影響。採準實驗不等組前後測設計，對象為61位四年級學童，其中實驗組（N = 32）接受科普讀物閱讀活動，對照組（N = 29）接受自主閱讀活動。活動時間均為12週。活動前、後藉由繪圖測驗及訪談來了解學童的科學家意象。資料分析的方法包括：敘述性統計、相依樣本 t 檢定、單因子共變數分析及持續比較法。結果顯示：參與本研究的學童對於科學家的刻板印象包括穿實驗衣、研究象徵、男性、在室內工作等四種；科普讀物閱讀活動對於促進學童建構多元的科學家意象之成效顯著優於自主閱讀活動；影響學童科學家意象的最主要因素為課外讀物，因此教師或家長應慎選內含科學家性別、外貌、工作場所與工作內容具多元性之科普讀物。

The present study explored the influence of students’ reading activities involving popular science books on their image of scientists. A quasiexperimental nonequivalent pretest-posttest design was applied to test 61 fourth grade students, of whom 32 constituted the test group that engage in reading activities involving popular science books and 29 constituted the control group that were allowed to conduct spontaneous reading. The research duration was set as 12 weeks, before and after which the students were subjected to drawing tests and interviews designed to develop the images of scientists in their minds. Data analysis methods included descriptive statistics, dependent samples t test, one-way analysis of covariance, and constant comparative method. The results indicated that the stereotypical image of scientists held by the participants included elements such as wearing a laboratory coat, handling experimental tools, being male, and working indoors; reading activities involving popular science books were significantly superior to spontaneous reading for helping the students develop a diversified image of scientists; extracurricular reading material was observed to be the most influential in conjuring the images of scientists for students; therefore, teachers and parents should choose with discretion popular science books that contain a diversified description of the genders, appearances, working locations, and job contents of scientists.