I’m a Scientist can have lots of positive benefits for students taking part. The activity…
Is equitable and accessible
Did you know that schools within 15 minutes drive of a major research Higher Education Institute are twice as likely to get a visit from a university scientist than those over a 30 minute drive?
I’m a Scientist is 100% online and accessible from any browser with an internet connection.
That means that schools which are typically missed by face-to-face engagement can take part.
Thanks to our text-based Chats, every student – from the most shy to the most confident – gets an equal opportunity for active STEM engagement.
Students with additional learning needs can have the same experience as their peers.
Every student in that school has the opportunity for a 1-to-1 personal connection with someone working in STEM, which is tailored to them and their interests.
Raises students’ confidence
“Many of our students lack confidence in their academic ability, so they were buzzing when they realised they can hold their own in a conversation with intelligent, educated people!”
– Julia Anderson, FE College Biology LecturerWe’ve looked into it: when students realise they can ‘hold their own’ in a conversation with scientists, they feel more confident – both in and out of the classroom.
When students connect with people who look like them; who have the same academic abilities; or even the same taste in humour, music, or video games; students are more likely to see scientists as ‘normal people’ like them.
All of this supports students’ science capital and helps to boost a students’ feeling that science is ‘for them’, which in turn can increase their confidence. More on science capital ❯
Gives student insight into STEM careers
Students who take part connect with a diverse range of people in STEM, from a huge variety of backgrounds and specialisms.
Taking part can give students a unique and highly personalised insight into careers in STEM, and show students how their in-classroom learning might link to STEM careers.
I’m a Scientist supports 6 of the Gatsby Good Careers Guide Benchmarks.
Supports science capital
Science capital is a helpful way of understanding how and why individuals engage with science. It’s a concept which underpins the philosophy of I’m a Scientist and our other activities.Science capital is a set of resources that helps individuals engage and identify with science. It is made up of a person’s skills, knowledge, attitudes, and experiences.
Young people with higher levels of science capital are more likely to see science as ‘for them’ and to choose to study science subjects at a higher level.
How I’m a Scientist supports students’ science capital
Students report learning something new about science in their Chats with people working in STEM roles.
Independent research found that 78.6% of respondents agreed that after participating in I’m a Scientist, “I have a better understanding of how science relates to my life.”
That means that students see STEM as something relevant to their lives. Most school students won’t grow up to be scientists, researchers or engineers, but they will all grow up to be people. As adults, they’ll have to make decisions about science and engineering — as voters, as consumers — and we are trying to help them develop the skills and confidence to do that.
I’m a Scientist can support students to see science as something which might be relevant to their interests or aspirations - even if those are not in science.
Connecting with people working in STEM roles supports students to understand what it’s like to work in those jobs and, even more importantly, to see scientists as ‘normal’ people.
Research shows that knowing people in STEM fosters a sense that science is ‘for me’ and makes it more likely that an individual can envisage being a scientist as a possibility for themselves.
That’s why young people who have friends or family in science roles are more likely to think science is ‘for them’.
Our live Chats put the students in the driving seat, meaning that the science they’re discussing is already personally relevant to their everyday lives. It goes beyond contextualising to relate directly to students’ own lives and interests.
By getting responses to their questions from people working in STEM roles, school students can see that their questions and interests ‘count’.
Students naturally draw on their own personal, family, and cultural experiences. When these are valued and linked back to science, students may feel more confident that STEM is for ‘someone like them’.
The Science Capital Teaching Approach
The Science Capital Teaching Approach builds upon the concept of science capital to enhance young people’s engagement with science.
The overall goal of the Science Capital Teaching Approach is to support students in seeing science as relevant to their lives and ‘for them’. It does this by:
- Personalising and localising science
- Eliciting students’ knowledge, valuing their contributions, and linking it back to the science
- Supporting students to see scientists as people, and helping them understanding careers in science.
Our live Chats mean that I’m a Scientist is personally relevant to students and their lives; elicits and values students’ questions and experiences; and provides support for building some of the dimensions of science capital.
Ultimately, I’m a Scientist creates an environment in which students are able to contribute from their own interests and experiences.
Dr Jen DeWitt, an Associate Senior Research Fellow on the core Science Capital team, has conducted an evaluation of I’m a Scientist to see how the experience might support students’ science capital.
The research consisted of student focus groups, teacher interviews, surveys and analysis of transcripts of live chats and questions asked by students.
You can read Dr DeWitt’s full report on how I’m a Scientist maps on to the Science Capital Teaching Approach now:
"It was good for students to see not all psychologists are lecturers or have PhDs, and that there is a range of levels of career. This gives them an idea of what they can do."Lesley, Head of Psychology at Bay House School
"Some of our students with additional learning needs are aware that autism has an impact on their communication skills, but I’m a Scientist gave them the confidence to join in the conversation"Jo, staff in an Autism Spectrum Condition Unit, Wales
"Convincing some students they need a pass in maths for their future — let alone showing them how the maths content relates to their lives — can be difficult. But they started to think about what they wanted to do in the future and wanted to find out more."Lucy, Maths Teacher at Cornelius Vermuyden School, Canvey Island
"Our students come to us lacking confidence. [After taking part in I'm a Scientist] it was so good for them to see they can hold their own in a conversation with intelligent and educated people who have studied these topics for 10 years."Julia, FE College Biology Lecturer
Teachers take part ❯
Scientists take part ❯
