Black high school females' images of the scientist: Expression of culture

Abstract

In this investigation of the scientist's images, black females were the sole participants. The data were obtained via semistructured interviews and were interpreted from a framework that emerged from the analysis of the data. Tesch's organizing system method was used to analyze the data, responses to the questions, “What do the teenaged, academically competent black females believe about the scientist?” and “What attribute (e.g., values, lifestyles) do they ascribe to the scientist?” From the analysis, two cultural orientations—the dominant culture and the African-American culture that exists in the United States—became evident. It was found that descriptions of the scientist differed with the ethnicity ascribed to him or her. These differences corresponded to the tenets of the dominant culture and the African-American culture in the United States. When these images of the scientist are viewed as windows to self-concepts, the results of the study have implications for science instruction, a consistent way through which African-American females are exposed to the sciences. J Res Sci Teach 34: 745–768, 1997.