A Study of the Presentation of Science and Scientist in Children's Science Education Programming

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Because television has the potential to reach a large number of children in an engaging manner, it has been emphasized as a means to promote science literacy through programs such as the "Magic School Buss" and "Bill Nye the Science Guy." However, there has been no quantitative analyses of what these programs actually present. In this study, the PIs will develop and test a coding scheme to look for the frequency of occurrence of characteristics in a number of children's science programs. These characteristics will include both substantive issues, such as the physical appearance of characters on the program and verbal references to science, as well as production features, such as lighting and sound effects, that may affect how children perceive science.