The investigation of primary school students' images of themselves, science teacher and scientist

This study was conducted in order to determine primary school students' image of themselves, science teacher and scientist. In the study conducted according to the case study approach. The sample consisted of total 16 fifth graders consisting of 12 girls and 4 boys in a village school in Ağrı province. Data were collected by using four different data collection tools: the drawing method, the written opinion form,the interview and the teacher observations. the first was a drawing form in which students reflect a scientist on their own working environment and how they see themselves in science class. The second was a written opinion form with three open-ended questions. The third tool was semi-structured interviews with all students. The final data collection tool is unstructured teacher observations. Content analysis approach was used for data analysis. In the study, it was determined that students'self in-class images consisted of usually expected in-class behaviors, such as being diligent, participating actively the lesson by raising the finger in class and exhibiting good character behaviours. Again, it was concluded from the findings that the science courses, for the students, mean listening to the teacher, participating in the lesson, conducting experiment, asking questions, making a test, doing homework, doing research, making a project, reading books, participating in discussions. It was also among the findings of the study that the students perceive the science teacher as an individual who has good character characteristics, conveys the knowledge and carries out learning-teaching processes. It was found out that students considered the scientist a person who has a character who has a culturally valid values, uses scientific process skills and does science for developing a useful product. they perceived the scientist as a person who is usually a man, working in a quiet environment or in a laboratory. In the study, it was determined that students like science lessons because of being funny, doing experiment, and learning new and interesting information. In addition, they thought the basic activity of the scientist is to make inventions and that they should make inventions and projects in order to feel like a scientist. Finally, it was revealed that these images stem form textbooks, posters, books, internet, magazines, television and story books.