Development and Field Test of a Checklist for the Draw-A-Scientist Test

Several instruments have been developed to assess student images of scientists, but most require children to respond in writing. Since not all children can respond appropriately to written instruments. Chambers (1983) developed the Draw-A-Scientist Test (DAST) in which children's drawings are rated according to particular characteristics present or absent in the drawings, allowing researchers to determine the images of scientists children hold. In order to improve the objectivity and interrater reliability of this means of assessment, the authors built upon Chambers' study to develop a checklist useful in assessing DAST drawings. This checklist provides drawing raters with stereotypic components identified in previous research as well as some additional ones, making the identification and recording of such components more efficient and more readily quantifiable for data analysis. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and field test of this checklist.