| Abstract: | Thirty-five research scientists from the academic areas of Chemistry, Geology, Physics and Zoology were surveyed to obtain information regarding the effect of teachers and formal schooling on their decisions to become scientists. All subjects included in the study held the PhD. degree and were actively involved in research. Data analysis indicated that 63 percent of the subjects had identified a genuine interest in science by the time they were in the ninth grade, but only 9 percent of them attributed this interest to their elementary or junior high school teachers. The data revealed that 43 percent of the population were influenced to become scientists by one or more high school teachers. Also, one-third of the subjects had made the decision to become a scientist by the time of high school graduation. Most of the other two-thirds of the individuals studied decided to become scientists because of the influence of college professors in their freshman-and sophomore-level courses. The subjects were asked if particular events that occurred in junior or senior high school science classes positively influenced them to become scientists. Seventy-eight percent of the subjects responded that there were no classroom activities occurring that attracted them to science. |
