MENTAL PROCESSES REQUIRED IN RECENT EXAMINATIONS IN CHEMISTRY. 11 STEFWENG. RICH, VERONA, N. J. In a recent article in THISJOURNAL^ I have presented the results of a tabulation of mental processes required in the examinations of the College Entrance Examination Board between 1916 and 1922. Mr. J. L. Whitsit, of De Witt Clinton High School, New York, N. Y., who saw the manuscript of that article, was of the belief that a similar tabulation of more recent examinations would show an appreciable change in mental content; upon his suggestion, the present study of examinations from June, 1923, to January, 1925, has been made. The methods used and the bias against memory-work are the same as in the previous article mentioned, except that a still more consistent effort has been made to count non-memory items whenever possible. The classification of items is identical with that in the previous paper and, for continuity, the tables are numbered in continuation of the series there begun. As in the previous paper, the material is summarized in the two tables, first in its raw state and then adjusted by the same apportionment of equations and computations between memory, habit, and thinking. The figures would indicate the following conclusions: (1) Since 1922 the similarity in apportionment of mental processes between College Board and Regents' examinations has continued unchanged as compared with the similarity existing before that time. (2) Since 1922 both sets of examinations show a distinct increase in the amount of memory-work required, with the relative proportions of habit and thought material unchanged in the remainder, as compared with examinations before that date. (3) The commercial uses, properties, and manufacture of substances have steadily gained in number of questions asked, during this period and as compared with earlier examinations, in both Board and Regents' examinations. (4) Verbal-memory questions have diminished in numbers as compared with examinations before 1922. (5) On the whole, the character of the examinations, despite the introduction of sets of true-false questions in the Regents' papers, has not changed sufficiently to warrant the conclusion tbat there is any improvement except the smaller amount of theoretical material and larger amount of applied chemistry required to he remembered. It also may be noted tbat the Board examinations show an additional difference from those of the Regents, not previously noticed hut apparently carried over from earlier years. In the two Board examinations, 13 questions require not only chemical knowledge or abilities, but "Mental Processes Required in Examinations in Chemistry." THISJOURNAL, 3, 44&9 (1926).
Nature of mental
Grauo
~rwe~r
Verbal memory for names and definitions Verbal memory for symbols and formulas Verbal memory for laws and theories Memory for laboratory work done Memory for properties of substances, commercial uses, etc. Memory for other facts Equations to be written or completed Thinking other than equations or computations Computations Total
Board Number of rEsponres 1923 1924 Total
Total
per cent of reEPOnBe8
Regents -Number ofresponseJune. Jan., June, Jan., 1923 1924 1924 1925
Total
per cent of responses
Number of re-
cent
of re-
JPOnaes sponses
TABLE VI S-ATION
OB
RESPONSES UNDER MAJOR HEADS OF MENTAL A C ~ O N All Examinations Number of Per cent responses of responses
Memory questions (Groups A to G indusive) Verbal-memory questions (Groups A, B, and C) Possible habit questions (Groups G and I) Possible thinking questions (Groups G, H, and I)
434
141 67 78
93.3 29.0 14.5 16.9
TABLE VII ADJUSTED SUMMATION OB RESPONSES UNDER MAJOR HEADS OF MENTAL ACTION, DrsT~rnUrlNoEQUATIONS AND COMPUTATIONS B€TWEEN HABIT AND THINKING All Examinations
Nunlbcr ol
rwp~nse~
Per cent
01 responnes
Memory
Thinking Habit
also a high grade of ability in English composition, for satisfactory answering. Only 8 such questions are found in the four Regents' examinations studied; 5 of these are on that of January, 1923. A non-tabulated survey of the examinations studied for the previous paper appears t o indicate that substantially the same difference has existed as far back as 1916. This may be of considerable interest and usefulness; for it is evident that a pupil.with ability of a high order in English composition will not be put a t a disadvantage by taking the examinations set by the Board; on the other hand, a pupil good in chemistry but weak in composition is likely to show his attainment better on the Regents' examinations. Since the Regents' examinations are accepted (with reservations in some cases) for college entrance credit outside of New York state, i t may prove advantageous to make wider use of them. The legitimacy of the requirement of English composition ability in a chemistry examination is hardly in point here; the existence of such a requirement, slightly in Regents' and strongly in Board examinations is all that is intended to be conveyed.* * The writer has strong personal convictions that any such requirement as English composition or an overwhelmingly large proportion of memory-work in chemistry examinations is entirely illegitimate, as well as directly harmful in preventing chemical instruction from being directed towards its greatest usefulness to the pupils. His chemistry tests, reviewed some months ago in THIS JOURNAL, 2, 622 (1925),are an attempt to measure the results of chemical instruction with as large an elimination of English composition and as small a proportion of memory-work as possible. Gerry and Powers have also gone fa-t least equally far-in eliminating English composition ability in their chemistry tests: hut they have probably exceeded the examinations in the proportion of memory-work required.
