grades on them than did the summer students.
EDUCATION
• M.S. in Science Education.
After studying the g o o d a n d b a d points of NSF institutes for high school science teachers, University of Wisconsin concludes the summer institute would be ideal if training could be u p g r a d e d to a p p r o a c h the high standards of the academic-year institute. Some differences in the t w o programs now : Summer Institute
Academic-Year Institute
Gain in income Move not necessary No grade-point requirement Only one p r o g r a m offered Six hours credit Time and lower standards reduce quality of training
Loss in income Families usually moved G r a d u a t e school requirements Full choice of courses M.S. in science education Top performance b y students a n d teachers
NSF Teacher Institutes Evaluated Summer institutes w o r k best for science teachers a n d schools but fail short in quality of training Over 5000 science and matheACS teachers NATIONAL matics MEETING attend summer in-
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stitutes supported by the National Science Foundation. Smaller numbers sacrifice time, convenience, and income to attend NSF academic-year institutes where a year's work can earn them a degree. After making a survey of these two types of institutes, C. H. Sorum, who runs the academic-year institute at the University of Wisconsin, says, in many ways the summer schooling is ideal. Currently, however, standards in the summer sessions leave much to be desired for real progress toward improved high school teaching. Sorum told a Chemical Education meeting: Chemical -Education
• If requirements for admission to both institutes were the same • I f high standards were maintained in both • If a wider choice of graduate courses was available in the summer sessions then, all things considered, the advantage would lie with the summer program. 90
C&EN
APRIL
2 1,
1959
• Admission
Standards
Lowered.
At Wisconsin, Sorum says, applicants for the academic-year institute have suffered especially under the required undergraduate grade-point—2.75 or better. As many as 4 5 % have failed to meet this average. Because of this lack, he says requirements for the summer program were reduced to admit any deserving teacher regardless of scholastic record. In 1957, when the summer institute was restricted to chemistry teachers, Sorum says only 5 0 % could qualify as regular graduate students. The chemistry institute offered only one program: Credits • Basic general chemistry • High school chemistry teaching • Forum on contemporary scene
3 2 1
As the academic-year students generally were of higher ability than the summer students, Sorum says the level of work offered in the summer course was below that offered in the year's course. The only subject taken in both institutes was basic chemistry. Exam res alts on this course show the academic-year students who took more difficult tests also received higher
The
University of Wisconsin has developed, especially for its academic-year students, a one-year course for the degree of M.S. in science education. It carries a 20-credit requirement, and u p to 15 of these credits may be taken in basic courses—biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. E a c h of these courses is designed to serve the needs of high school teachers. But credits earned in them cannot b e applied toward an M.S. or Ph.D. in the subject. In selecting its academic-year institute students, Sorum says t h e school picks those who have the best chance to earn this degree and the best prospects for staying in high school teaching for the longest time. Besides the teacher's point of view, Sorum scores the summer institute as best for high schools, since t h e longer program takes teachers away from their jobs for a whole year. Then, from the view point of colleges administering the programs, he says larger schools find it hard t o staff the summer programs because the majority of their staff members devote their summers to research. In smaller schools, though, faculty members welcome t h e chance to teach in summer institutes.
New Degree in the Making A hybrid doctorate for teachers combines the best of education and chemistry programs A n e w doctorate seeking to balance t h e research approach of the Ph.D. and the Chemical pedagogy apEducation proach of t h e doctor of education was proposed t o the Chemical Education Division b y Emerson G. Cobb of College of the Pacific. Many teachers wish to improve their ability to teach chemistry, C o b b told the meeting. But when they find it rough working for a degree i n pure chemistry, they unwisely shift t o methods courses in professional education. Thus they defeat the real purpose of advanced education for chemistry teachers. The research concept as a p ACS NATIONAL MEETING
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