Determination of Academics’ Mental Models About Science, Scientists, and Perceptions of Scientific Development

Purpose: This research aimed to determine the academics’ mental models about science, scientists, and perception of scientific development. Method: The case study method was used in the research. The participants of the study are a total of 112 academics with different academic titles working in universities in seven different regions of Turkey, which include the faculties of health sciences, social sciences, natural sciences, and educational sciences. The study used an interview form consisting of 6 questions developed by the researchers as a data collection tool. The data obtained from the corresponding form were transcribed and analyzed in NVivo 9.0. Results and Conclusion: When the data obtained from the participants are evaluated; (i) academics frequently use the definitions in scientific books when defining the concept of science, (ii) there is an effect of the department variable and popular events studied in their thoughts on the concept of scientist, (iii) there are differences in their perceptions of the development of science between the areas where development is expected worldwide and the areas where change is expected in Turkey. Depending on the results obtained, implications were presented to academics and researchers who want to conduct research in the subject area.