Spiderman and science: How students’ perceptions of scientists are shaped by popular media

This study addresses the influence of popular media on how young children perceive science and the work of scientists. Using an adapted version of the Draw-A-Scientist Test, 15 classes of fourth graders (9–10 years old) at three different schools in Singapore were sampled ( n = 266). The students’ drawings as well as their identification of three sources from which they obtained inspiration for their drawings were analyzed. Our results showed a strong relationship between students’ drawings of scientists and their reported sources of inspiration. The results suggest that popular media play a large role in shaping how young children view scientists.