IV. TEACHING SCHEDULES IN THE CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT 1.E. M r L s , NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL. WASAINGMN, D. C. I n visiting the chemical departments of many of the larger educational institutions in eleven southern states, the complaint of heavy teaching schedules was so frequently heard that the fact seemed to merit some special study. It is not believed that any objection was raised to the standard in this regard as recommended by the American Council on Education ( 1 ) . The suggested standard is the same for colleges, junior colleges, and normal schools and teachers' colleges, and reads as follows: Teaching schedules exceeding 16 hours per week per instructor, or classes (exclusive of lectures) of more than 30 students, should be interpreted as endangering educational efficiency.
The trouble lies primarily in the fact that some of the various accrediting associations have so worded their interpretation of this recommended standard as to lead to a general custom in certain parts of the country of considering two (or in some cases more) hours of laboratory instruction the equivalent of one hour of lecture. The Association of American Universities in its "Memorandum of procedure for institutions seeking approval of the association for inclusion in its accepted list" quotes verbatim the recommendation of the American Council on Education given above as regards teaching schedules and size of classes. The Association of Colleges and Preparatory Schools of the Middle States and Maryland (1) in accrediting colleges makes use of the principles and standards recommended by the American Council on Education. This association has accredited no junior colleges or teacher-training institutions. The Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools (1) in admitting institutions to membership in the association employs the standards recommended by the American Council on Education. The Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools of the Southern States (I) has the following standards as regards teaching schedules and size of classes: Standards for Colleges of Arts and Sciences 7. Number of classroom hours for teachers.-Teaching schedules exceeding 16 hours per week per instructor shall be interpreted as endangering educational efficiency. In general, two laboratory hours will be counted as equivalent to one recitation hour. 2268
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8. Number of students in classes.-Classes (exclusive of lectures) of more than 30 students shall be interpreted as endangering educational efficiency.
Junior Colleges 6. Number of classroom hours far teachers.-The average number of credit hours per week for each instructor shall not exceed 16 hours of college work or 18 hours if part of the work is done in high school. 7. Number of students in classes.-The number of students in a class shall not exceed 30 (except for lectures). It is recommended that the number of students in a class in a foreign language shall not exceed 25. The number of students in a laboratory section shall not exceed the number for which desk space and equipment have been provided.
Teacher-Training Colleges 7. Number of classroom hours for teachers.-Teachina .schedules exceedine - 16 hours per week per instructor shall be interpreted as endangering educational efficiency. In general, two laboratory hours will be counted as equivalent t o one recitation hour. 8. Number of students in classes.-Classes (exclusive of lectures) of more than 30 students shall be interpreted as endangering educational efficiency.
The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools (I) has the following standards a: regards teaching loads and size of classes: Colleges and Universities 6. Faculty Service.-The number of hours of classroom work eiven bv each teacher will vary in different departments. Ta determine this, the amount of preparation required for the class and the amount of time needed for study t o keep abreast of the subject, together with the number of students, must be taken into account. Teaching schedules exceeding 16 recitation hours, or their equivalent per week oer instructor. will be interpreted as endangering educational a c i e n c y . Institutions which have teache n whose schedules exceed this number must report the facts annually t o the secretam of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. 7. Sizes of classes-Classes (exclusive of lectures) of more than 30 students should be interpreted as endangering educational efficiency. Institutions which have classes of larger size shall report the f a d annually t o the secretary of the Commission.
Junior Colleges 4. Faculty.-The minimum scholastic requirement of all teachers of classes in the junior college shall be graduation from a college belonging to this association or an equivalent, and, in addition, graduate work in a university of recognized standing amounting t o one year. The teaching schedule of instructors shall not exceed 18 hours per week: 15 hours is recommended as the maximum. 5. Size of classes.-Classes, exclusive of lectures, of more than 30 students shall be interpreted as endangering educational efficiency. Junior colleges having classes of larger size shall report the facts annually t o the Commission.
Institutions Primarily for the Training of Teachers 8. The average teaching program of a teacher in such schools shall not exceed 15 clock hours per week in actual teaching, or the equivalent, in classroom, laboratory, shop, or supervisory instruction. The class unit for instruction shall not exceed 30 students.
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The New England Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools ( 1 ) has the following "minimum requirements for an acceptable college of liberal arts" as regards teaching schedules and size of classes: 6. The college should arrange the teaching schedules so that the total number of hours of teaching of any instructor shall vary according t o the subject taught, not exceeding 18 hours per week, including extension work and work in other institutions. The college should limit the number of students in a recitation or laboratory class t o 30 t o each instructor.
The American Association of Junior Colleges ( I ) has adopted the following standard as regards classroom hours for teachers and number of students in classes: 7. Number of clasrroom hours for teachers.-The average number of dass hours per week for each instructor shall not exceed 18. Where some time is given t o teaching below the college level, as many as 20 class hours per week may he allowed. 8. Number of students in classes.-The number of students in a dass shall not exceed 30 (except for lectures). I t is recommended that the number in a class in foreign language and English composition should not exceed 25. The number of students in laboratory sections shall not exceed the number for which desk space and equipment have been provided.
The American Association of Teachers' Colleges (1) has adopted the following standard as regards the teaching load of faculty: VI. Teaching load of faculty.-The following teaching loads shall he the maximum for a teachers college faculty: Sixteen clock hours per week, or the equivalent. Equivalence shall be based upon the ratio of one class period t o one and one-half class periods in shop and laboratory work, one t o one and one-quarter in physical education, and one t o three-quarters in English composition.
The above citations of the existing regulations show that they do not lead to a uniformity of the teaching load as regards teachers in the departments of chemistry in different sections of the country. In certain sections of the country the existing regulations very often lead to a heavy overloading of the teaching schedules of those teachers who handle laboratory work. Moreover, it is clear that in some sections of the country the teacher handling laboratory work is compelled to assume a far heavier schedule of instruction than is considered permissible for other teachers in the same institution. In the larger institutions the more elementary classes in chemistry are very large. For lecture periods these classes are brought together as a whole or are divided into fairly large sections. For laboratory work the classes are in general subdivided to a much greater extent. A large part of the work required of many instructors consists therefore in handling these laboratory sections. Taking the most extreme case, that of an instructor who handles only laboratory work. in order to be credited by the institution with teaching
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16 hours, in reality, in certain sections of the country, he would have to teach 32 hours. In following the rule which is said to exist in some institutions, he would have to teach 48 hours. While such extreme cases are never found, the condition seems to be of such frequent occurrence that an appeal for relief from a very Seavy teaching schedule is met with the reply that no relief is possible; that the teaching units concerned are quite in accord with the best standard practice (on the basis of two lahoratory hours to one lecture hour as suggested by the accrediting association). The result of this ruling is that many teachers in the chemical departments carry from 20 to 25 clock hours of classroom and laboratory work per week. Some few teachers carry 30 hours, and 14 institutions out of 88 reported that in some cases in their institutions more than two hours of laboratory work were counted the equivalent of one hour of teaching. In reality, proper instruction in elementary laboratory classes requires a very considerable attention to the laboratory itself, both as regards apparatus and reagents, and constant attention and aid to the students while the work is in progress. Moreover, the notebooks must be examined. Every member of a class does not Iinish the work assigned during the scheduled hours and perfect attendance is a goal never reached, and therefore some provision for supervising "hack" work must be made. I t is true the instructor is often provided with assistants who do much of the routine running of the laboratory. Without these assistants the situation could not he endured. Even with their aid the prevailing, and the writer believes almost universal, opinion is undoubtedly to the effect that one hour of laboratory instruction is a t least as time-consuming and as tiring as an hour of lecture work. The student does not receive equal credit toward graduation units in college work for laboratory and classroom work and should not. Usually no preparation on the part of the student for laboratory work is required. In general, as regards the student, i t is quite reasonable to consider that two hours of laboratory work is the equivalent of one hour of lecture work. When the student is specializing in chemistry this ratio can sometimes be increased. In actual practice the present effect of the statement concerning the number of classroom hours for teachers that "In general two laboratory hours will he counted as equivalent to one recitation hour" is to throw on the teachers of chemistry much more than their comparative share of instruction in the institution without securing the slightest recognition for this increased work. In many places i t makes effective research work on the part of the instructor an impossibility. The teaching load camed by professors and instructors in colleges and
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upiversities is very often only a part, and often only a small part, of the various activities required by their position. Most men in educational work probably give much nearer 40 than 16 hours per week to the various duties expected of them. To accurately evaluate and adjust these activities is a matter of great difficulty, ind classroom hours are a t best a poor guide. Even in effecting a balance between the credit allowed for laboratory instruction and classroom instruction no arbitrary rule can be followed. With small advanced classes the instructor may efficiently manage two or three laboratory classes at the same time. Nevertheless the requirement of the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools of the Southern States, as it now stands, often works a real hardship. I t is suggested that until some better measuring stick be devised this requirement be changed to read: Teaching schedules exceeding 16 hours per week per instructor shall be interpreted as endangering educational efficiency. One laboratory clock hour when spent in teaching will be counted as the equivalent of one recitation hour.
Reference ( 1 ) "Accredited Higher Institutions, 1927-1928," U. S. Bureau of Education, Bulletin No. 7 (1929).
