Survey Reveals Teenagers Think Scientists are 'Freaks

[Pengwuino]

At least, according to this recent survey

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4630808.stm

Teenagers value the role of science in society but feel scientists are "brainy people not like them", research suggests.

The Science Learning Centre in London asked 11,000 pupils for their views on science and scientists.

Around 70% of the 11-15 year olds questioned said they did not picture scientists as "normal young and attractive men and women".

The research examined why numbers of science exam entries are declining.

 

[Evo]

Hope you don't mind me adding this related link as to why interest is declining. No experiments being allowed due to stupid kids.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3414419.stm

Disruptive pupils wreck science

Disruptive behaviour by pupils has caused the cancellation of science practical lessons in more than half of schools, claims a survey.

 

[scott1]

There freaks aparently they think it's cool to be dum

 

[Moonbear]

Hope you don't mind me adding this related link as to why interest is declining. No experiments being allowed due to stupid kids.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3414419.stm
Disruptive pupils wreck science
Disruptive behaviour by pupils has caused the cancellation of science practical lessons in more than half of schools, claims a survey.

That article states:

"If there is a pupil who is known to behave badly, and cannot be removed, teachers do not want to take lessons which could involve acids or gas burners," said Mr Cotgreave.

My question is...why can't the disruptive students be removed? When I was in school, we were all tested on the safety rules each year, and had to pass with 100% correct (even if students had to take the test repeated times) before we were allowed to participate in the laboratory portion of the class. And, after that, we had an absolutely zero tolerance for misbehavior during the lab. If you acted up and broke any safety rule, you spent the remainder of the class sitting in the principal's office explaining why you can't follow simple safety rules. Our teachers were also quite effective at making the point clear of why they were so strict about the safety rules by telling their stories of the students who were permanently blinded because they weren't wearing their goggles when something shot out of their test tube at them, or showing the pair of goggles they had mounted in a plexiglass display case that were completely covered in some white substance, with the reminder that the student who had been wearing them was very, very fortunate they were wearing them when that accident happened, etc.

They shouldn't allow a few kids to ruin it for everyone. Those kids should simply be removed from that course if they can't conduct themselves appropriately in the classroom. Put the ones who can't behave into a boring, lecture-only version of the course with lengthy writing assignments instead of laboratory exercises. I'd bet you'd see kids learning to conduct themselves properly very quickly when that's their alternative.

 

[Pengwuino]

My question is...why can't the disruptive students be removed? When I was in school, we were all tested on the safety rules each year, and had to pass with 100% correct (even if students had to take the test repeated times) before we were allowed to participate in the laboratory portion of the class. And, after that, we had an absolutely zero tolerance for misbehavior during the lab. If you acted up and broke any safety rule, you spent the remainder of the class sitting in the principal's office explaining why you can't follow simple safety rules.

Lawsuit...

 

[scorpa]

That's how it was at my school, aside from the fact that it was to poor to do many lab experiments the majority of my class couldn't be trusted to do the labs. There were 17 people in my class and a lot of them either acted stupidly in labs, didn't care at all about them or both. As a result I went into university having no lab experience at all. The most exciting thing we ever did was WATCH our teacher melt ice for a chem lab...we did get to do a titration but that's it. I was the only one to go on to study in a field of science after high school the rest went into education (oh the irony) or some form of arts, and a few went into trades (some of that could be considered science though I guess).