CONTRIBUTION OF HIGH-SCHOOL CHEMISTRY TOWARD SUCCESS IN THE COLLEGE CHEMISTRY COURSE*
A comparison i s made between the records of thefirstyear chemistry students of Oberlin College who had one unit of hiph-school chemistry and of those who had none, with respect both to their success i n the chemistry courses and to the probability of their continuing the study of chemistry.
. . . . . .
The question of the value of secondary-school chemistry for the students who continue with college chemistry is one which is frequently discussed. Some college teachers have gone so far as to suggest that those students who have not had high-school chemistry will prove more successful in their college chemistry courses. Several articles with statistics have appeared in the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION on this question. For example, Buehler (1) finds for University of Tennessee students that where one course is given for all first-year students, students with high-school chemistry make a better record during the first part of the work but that those with no high-school chemistry excel during the latter part of the course. On the other hand, Garard and Gates (2) at the New Jersey College for Women found, over a five-year period, that students with high-school chemistry made a better first-year record than those without. Hines (3) at Northwestern University reported that where a separate first-year course is offered for students who had high-school chemistry, the first-year course record with respect to the percentage of students who passed was approximately the same for the two groups, but that those who had high-school chemistry made slightly better grades in the advanced work and were much more likely to take the advanced chemistry courses. Herrmann (4) at Marquette University, where one first-year course is given, found that students with high-school chemistry were more likely to make good grades than those without. For our own information we made a study of the chemistry students of Oberlii College, comparing the students who offered one or more units of high-school chemistry, hereafter designated as Group I, and the student; without previous training in chemistry, designated as Group 11, with respect to: 1. The grades made in our first-year course. 2. The percentage and the quality of first-year students who continue in our advanced chemistry courses. 3. The grades made in the advanced courses.
* Presented beforethe Division of Chemical Education of the A. C. S. at the Buffalo meeting, August 31-September 4, 1931. 530
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General Conditions There is in Oherlin College only one first-year chemistry course,' which offers four hours credit for three classroom hours and two two-hour laboratory periods. It is elected by students as a cultural course in fulfilment of the college science requirement as well as by prospective chemistry majors. Approximately 55% of the students are freshmen. The regular advanced chemistry courses offered are the second-year course, which consists of quantitative analysis with a physical-chemical interpretation, the organic chemistry course for the third year, and the physical chemistry course for the fourth year. I t was not necessary to study other courses in the department since the above courses are required of all majors in chemistty, and include all the students under consideration. The college has a restricted enrolment, and a group of students selected on the basis of their promise for doing satisfactory college grade work. The percentage of failures is, therefore, somewhat less than occurs in some chemistry departments. One of the entrance requirements is a unit of a laboratory science; the great majority of our first-year students who do not present high-school chemistry have had high-school physics, although a few enter with a science deficiency, offering no satisfactory unit in science. Approximately 55% of our first-year students offer a unit of high-school chemistry. Data were collected for the five-year period 1926-31, but those given below are for the four-year period 1926-30. The fifth year is omitted from the summaries in part because of a change in the grading system of the college and in part because we desired to investigate the advanced work of our students. (The first-year class of 1930-31 has not yet done any advanced work.) Strictly speaking, the advanced work of our students cannot be compiled until the students have completed the fourth year course (i. e., not until 1934), but the consistency of our results and the fact that the relative standing between Groups I and I1 will be unaffected by the data still unassembled, leads us to believe that the advantage of having data on our present student body outweighs any possible disadvantage from incomplete data. Furthermore, the results so far obtained for the year 1930-31 are in entire agreement with our results for the four-year period. For the period considered there were eight passing grades and one failing grade.** Smce it is desirable to have numerical equivalents for use in obtaining averages, we arbitrarily selected numerical equivalents for the literal grades as given in Table I. Because of restrictions imposed by lack of space and by the college schedule, it has hitherto been possible to have only one first-year course. ** In practice the department of chemistry did not give an E or conditional grade.
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TABLE I Grades, and the Arbitrary Numerical Equivalents Used in Averaging
Students who repeated the first semester of the first-year course after failure were A + = 97 C+ = 77 omitted from further conA = 92 C = 72 sideration for obviously any B+ = 87 D+ = 67 effect from having or not B = 82 D = 62 having had high-school chemF = 52 .istry is outweighed by the On the above scale 60 is passing. fact that the student is repeating essentially what he once failed to get. Grades in the First-Year Course For the purpose of comparison, Figure 1, which indicates the grade distribution for the four-year period, is given. In this and in the two following figures, grades are Grade plotted as abscissas against the percentage of a group mak'mg each grade as ordinates. Figure 2 shows the first-semester grades for this period, the heavy line representing the grade curve for Group I (those who had high-school chemistry), and the dotted lime that for Group I1 (those who did not have high-school chemistry). I t will be noted that a student in Group I has a much better chance of receiving an A or B and a much poorer chance of a D or F than a corresponding student in Group 11. The relative areas under the curves indicate the diierence. T h e corresponding data for the second semester Drsmuno~ Both jirst-semester and second-semester grades for are given in Figure 3. Althc four-ymi criod. 1926-30. The graph shows the though the difference bepercentage o f students obtaining each grade. tween the two mourn has been reduced in the second semester it is still apparent, in spite of the much heavier loss through failure in Group I1 a t the end of the first semester.
- .
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CONTRIBUTION OF HIGH-SCHOOL CHEMISTRY
533
TABLE U First-Year Course Records for the Four-Year Period 1926-30
Group I * GroupII** Total
-
Shrinkogc Due lo Fnilurcs Na of and WithG ~ o d ~ s draw& 1st 2ld scm. s m .
328 276
287 213
604
500
- -
41 63 104
% of S l d m l s
Grodc Is1 2nd Scnr. Sam.
Who Take Adnnnccd Courrcr Boscd on En-
Awraga FitslYcor Grade of Sludenrs Who Continue
1x1 Sam.
Sm".
smm.
76.8 69.2
-
77.4 74.5
81.6 78.0
81.4 81.4
-
35% 12%
73.4
76.2
24%
Aaeragc
rolmrnl of
2nd sem.
40% 15'%
-
Id
2nd
30%
* Had high-school chemistry.
** Did not have high-school chemistry. The data for the fifth year (1930-31), omitted from the figures, are in entire agreement with the above results. Table I1 shows the comparison on the basis of averages calculated from the data in Table I. For the first semester, Group I stands 7.6 points above Group 11. For the second semester the diierence becomes less and the average grade becomes higher due, for the most part, to few failures.
,A+
AIB+
-SR
UP1
----CR
UP11
Grade B,C+
CID+
D,F,
Enrolment in Advanced Courses
1
More striking than the ..- 4 difference in grades made FIGURE 2.-FIRST-YEAR CHEMISTRY GRADE DISTRIBUTION by the two groups is the First-semester grades for the four year period. 1926-30. diierencein the percentage The solid line, for students with high-school chemistry of students whocontinuein (Group I), shows the percentage of the group obtainadvanced courses. Based ing each grade; the dotted line, for students ruilhout high-school chemistry, (Group 11). indicates the corOn the number of students responding data for this group. in the second semester, the percentages are 40y0for Group I and 15% for Group I1 (Table 11). While these percentages are not complete since some of the students under
534
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
Mmcn, 1932
consideration have only completed the sophomore year and may therefore elect chemistry courses during their last two years, the diierence is sufficiently great to be significant. Table I1 indicates that those students of Group I who continued did equally well in both semesters of the first-year course. The corresponding students for Group I1 did somewhat poorer work during the first semester (though still strikingly better work than the average of their group) but equaled the work of Group I for the second semester. The second-semester average of the stndents who took advanced courses for both groups was 51.4. This indicates that the distribution of these groups among the various grades is very similar, as can be seen in Table 111, Part B, or in Figure 3. (This distribution is indicated by the crosses and squares.) Sixty per cent. of the students in each group who continue made A's or B's during the second semester of their first year. (Table IV-B.) In Table I11 may be noted the relation between FIGURE 3.-FIRST-YEAR CHEMISTRY GRADE the relative number of stuDrsmmo~ dents who continue in Second-smcster grades for the fouryear period, 1926-30. The solid line, for students wit11 highchemistry and the second school chemistry (Group I), shows the percentage semester grades they reof the group obtaining each grade: the crosses represent the percentage of the group obtaining ceived. Thus (Part A) each grade and continuing in advanced chemistry courses. The dotted line and the squaresindicate 65% of the students in the corresponding data for the students withut Group I who received B + high-school chemistry (Group 11). took further chemistrv courses, and but 43% of those in Group I1 who received B + continued. The corresponding valuesfor the C grade are 41% and 120j,, respectively. The same data recalculated as in Part B, Table 111, may indicate the relationship more clearly. Of the Group I, second-semester students, 40y0 continued in chemistry; 5.6% got A and continued; 10.870 got B+ and continued; 7.3% got B and continued, etc. Of Group II,15.4% continued: ~
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TABLE III A. Percentage of first-year students making any second-semester grade who take advanced courses. A's who continue, Group I c. g., No. of A's given to Group I B. Percentage of each group in the first-year class taking advanced courses, distributed among the various grades (first-year, second-semester) e. g.. A*
A's who continue, Group I No. of grades given t o Group I
B+
B
A. GraupIa* 59% 65% 46% Group 111 50 43 20 5.6 10.8 7.3 B.Group1 2.3 4.7 2.3 Group I1 * A +'s are included with the A's. ** Had high-school chemistry. t Did not have high-school chemistry.
C f
C
38% 11 7.3 2.3
41% 12 7.3 2.8
Df
6% 3 0.7 0.5
D
TOW
13% 5 1 0.5
40% 15.4
2.3% got A and continued; 4.7% got B+ and continued; 2.3% got B and continued, etc. It is significant that the grade distribution of the continuing students in both groups is similar in spite of difference in the proportion of the students in the two groups who continue. Grades in Advanced Courses Just as the record of the number who continue in the advanced courses is incomplete, so also the average grades made in these courses is only partial. There is no reason to believe, however, that the tendencies clearly indicated by the data would be reversed by a slight change in the number of students considered in the second-year and organic chemistry courses. Table 4 shows the average grade for the students considered in the second., third., and fourth-year courses, as well as a recapitulation of theirfirst-year grades. TABLE N A. B.
Partial Record for Advanced Courses Average grades made by students who take advanced courses. Percentage of these students making a grade of B, or better. Pint-Ycor Coursc 11 2nd Sem. Scm.
A. Group I * Group 11'. B. Group I Group 11
81.6% 78.0 66 42
81.4% 81.4 59 61
* Had high-school chemistry. ** Did not have high-schwl chemistry.
Second-Ycor
Third-Year Covrrc Organic Chrmislry
Fourlh-Yeor COUNI Physical Chemistry
78 2% 79.4 49 50
76.8% 78.1 37 49
81.4% 86.5 65 100
Cowre
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
MARCH,1932
As a check it also gives the ratio of A's and B's to the total number of grades given to these students. In the second-year course there is little to choose between the two groups, hut in the organic and physical chemistry courses the record for Group I1 appears distinctly better. We do not venture to assert that a real dierence in quality of work is proved, but the assumption that such a dierence exists is entirely, within the evidence. I t seems reasonable to assume that since a smaller proportion of Group I1 continue, selection with respect to their ability to develop satisfactorily in the study of chemistry is more rigorous. Many students of Group I come to college with the intention of majoring in chemistry, even though they may not be especially qualified for the pursuit of scientific studies. Such students in Group I1 do not ordinarily proceed beyond the fist-year course, because of their unsatisfactory grades. Summary The data assembled indicate that for our courses: (1) Students who had high-school chemistry stand a better chance of making good grades in the fist-year course than students without such preparation. (2) Students who had high-school chemistry are approximately three times as likely to continue as students who have not. (3) The students in Group I1 who continue appear to be somewhat more highly selected than those in Group I. Their higher grades in the advanced courses are consistent with this interpretation. Interpretations The great dierence in grades made during the first year by students in Group I and those in Group I1 may be due: (1) to a selective rBle played by the high-school course which tends to attract scientifically inclined students; (2) to the preparation given by the course itself. In our opinion both factors are important, the second perhaps deserving more weight. Students who had no high-school laboratory science course find our course especially difficult,for it represents a subject matter and a way of thinking with which they have had no experience. But our results show that students who have had high-school physics, and not chemistry, do not do so well in the first-year course as those who had the chemistry. The high-school course does something other than to indicate a "scientific method." Whether or not it does that, it does introduce the student to a new vocabulary and to new concepts. I t is just these new and strange ideas which are so d%cult because so unreal to some of the students
VOL. 9, No. 3 CONTRIBUTION OF HIGH-SCHOOL CHEMISTRY
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without any previous course in chemistry. The actual knowledge of facts retained from high-school chemistry is small, and the knowledge of principles still smaller, but the words and ideas have a familiar sound to the student. Some of our best students have been those who have not had high-school chemistry. I t may be true that they are excellent students, partly because they did not start with a partial knowledge of chemistry in highschool. Our data give us no information on this point. They do clearly indicate, however, that for the average student high-school chemistry is of great help in getting started in college chemistry. However, there are always students in Group I, even from our selected students, who fail in college chemistry because they are not mentally equipped to deal with the fundamental principles as taught in the college course. The percentage of students making various grades who continue, as listed in Table 111,indicates that students who have had high-school chemistry may have resolved to go on in chemistry, and do take advanced courses in spite of grades as low as C. The percentage of students of Group I1 who continue is smaller for all grades, and become relatively less for grades below B. We find, therefore, that high-school chemistry does play a significant part in the development of our chemistry students.
Literatwe Cited (1)
(2) (3)
(4)
B U E ~ E R"The , One College Chemistry Course for Freshmen," J. C~snr.Enoc., 6, 510-3 War., 1929). G m AND GATES."High-School Chemistry and the Student's Record in College Chemistry." ibid., 6, 514-7 (Mar., 1929). HINBS,"Of What Value Is the High-School Course in Chemistry to Those Students 6, 697-707 (Apr., 1929). Continuing the Subject in College?' iM., Hen-NN, "An Analysis of Freshman College Chemistly Grades with Reference to Previous Study of Chemistry," ibid., 8, 1376-85 (July, 1931).
