What do you think being a good scientist involves? School students’ views about science, scientific research, and being scientists

Students often convey positive perceptions of science and scientists, although fewer express aspirations towards becoming scientists. Students’ science identities may link with wider perceptions, including what working as a scientist involves, although less research has explored these perceptions in detail. To gain new insights, questionnaire responses were considered from 289 school students across Year 9 to Year 13 (age 13/14 to 17/18 years old) from England and the island of Guernsey. Many students within the sample felt informed about science and scientific research and developments (67%), but fewer agreed that they saw themselves as scientists now (19%) or in the future (33%). Students’ written responses to ‘What do you think being a good scientist involves?’ were analysed and encompassed themes including: working scientifically; curiosity and discovery; determination, resilience, and perseverance; ability and understanding; interest, passion, and motivation; and openness to new ideas and different views. Some differences in the prevalence of themes were revealed across students with different characteristics, circumstances, and science identities. The findings offer new insight into students’ perceptions, to help understand how being a (good) scientist may be more or less feasible for different students.