Scientists’ biographies may demotivate, not inspire, children to study science

Currently popular biographies of famous scientists may demotivate—rather than inspire—children’s desire to study or pursue careers in science, according to researchers who studied the messages in 422 bestselling children’s books. Study leader Jessica Gladstone, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said that while parents and educators often use these books to try to spark children’s interest in science through exposure to role models, their narratives tend not to support this goal.

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