Abstract

A considerable amount of research has been devoted to understanding how young people learn and engage with science effectively; however, little is known about how young adults persist in their ambitions of pursuing science academically and eventually becoming scientists. This study describes the process by which eight Chilean graduate students have been socialized in the life sciences from early childhood to adulthood. The life story interview approach was used to explore the students’ experiences from their own perspectives across their lifespans. The qualitative analysis showed that the eight graduate students were socialized from early ages in formal and informal learning settings. This process occurred by learning two concepts of science: the “open-public” science, a generalized and narrower view of science that is commonly presented to the general public, and the “closed-private” science, a behind-the-scenes view of science as it is actually practiced (Elkana 2000). These concepts were learned through three main life stages: (1) the childhood stage in formal and informal learning situations, characterized by curiosity and inquisitiveness about different phenomena as well as viewing science as a fun and interesting activity guided by the objectivity of the scientific method; (2) the high school and undergraduate stage at which the “closed-private” aspects of science were first encountered, leading to “science culture shock”; and (3) the graduate level stage in which students continued learning the “closed-private” view while practicing science in a laboratory. Further research and implications are provided.