Children frequently hear language suggesting that scientists are a category of people. The topic of science is often introduced to children by labeling groups of people as scientists (“Let’s be scientists!”) and describing how this group of people should behave (“Scientists discover new things!”). This way of speaking is called identity-focused language. Identity-focused language is the most common way that young children first learn about science both on television and in preschool classrooms (Wang et al., 2022). Though intended as positive messaging to promote children’s engagement in science, identity-focused language has the opposite effect for people in groups that are historically underrepresented in STEM fields. Identity-focused language often leads children to believe that the referenced group (in this case, scientists) is a special category of person and to view members of that group as sharing intrinsic properties (e.g., believing scientists inherently have qualities that distinguish them from non-scientists). That is, children may believe that scientists are born with certain special qualities that allow them to be scientists rather than viewing science as an activity that everyone can learn to do. After repeatedly hearing phrases that refer to scientists as a special category of people, many children begin to question whether they fit into this special category. For those in groups that have been historically excluded from science, such as girls and children of color, this can negatively affect their efficacy and persistence in science. Indeed, despite the many significant achievements of women and people of color in science, members of these groups are still drastically underrepresented in STEM fields, although girls’ academic performance in science does not differ from that of boys. 

• Women represent only 39% of those employed in physical science, 25% of those employed in computer science, and 14% of those employed in engineering (Funk & Parker, 2019). 

• White Americans make up 62% of all STEM workers, while only 9% are Black and only 7% are Hispanic, despite making up 13.5% and 18% of the population respectively (Funk & Parker, 2019). 

In addition to observing STEM disparities in life, children are also sensitive to the pervasive stereotypes regarding who can be a scientist. Stereotypes associating femininity with reading and art, and masculinity with math and science are prevalent across many domains of children’s media including literature, Disney movies, PBS shows, and Nickelodeon shows (Charlesworth et al., 2021). When asked to draw a scientist in a research study, most children drew a man, and older children are even more likely to draw a male scientist. By the time children are learning about science in elementary school, they already have an idea of what a scientist looks like, and this perception can be informed by stereotypical cultural messaging. When asked to “be a scientist,” children take these stereotypic cues into consideration. If they don’t look like the stereotypical tall White man in a lab coat, they may conclude that they don’t have the special qualities that they believe scientists all share. This leads to less engagement, confidence, and persistence in science. 

So, how can we use language to engage all children in science?

Action-Focused Language 

While identity-focused language backfires in effectively engaging all kids in science, action-focused language is a beneficial alternative. Phrases that focus on the activity of science like “Let’s do science” and “We’re getting better at doing science” don’t prompt children to question whether they fit into the special scientist category. Rather, they prompt children to view science as an activity that everyone can engage in.