STATUS OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION IN UTAH SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS* H u m W. PETERSON, BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, PROVO, UTAH
A report of a questionnaire study indicat& the prevailing conditions and practices i n chemical education i n Utah Senior High Schools. The proport i a of students receiving chemistry instruction, the training and experience of teachers, the subjects the teachers teach, the cost of chemical education, administration of supplies and laboratory work, the teachers' problems and how a university might aid the high-school chemistry teachers i n their work, are phases of the subject sumeyed.
. . . . . .
The purpose of this study is to obtain answers to the following questions regarding chemical education in Utah High Schools: (1) How generally is chemistry being studied? (2) What has been the academic training of the teachers in chemistry, and in related fields? (3) How old, how experienced, and how recently trained, are the teachers? (4) What other subjects do chemistry teachers teach? (5) Where were the teachers trained? (6) How generally are more or less professional journals used by teachers? (7) What is the cost of chemical education? (8) What are the prevailing arrangements regarding laboratory fees, breakage deposits, length of laboratory periods, administration of supplies? (9) What are some of the problems confronting the chemistry teachers in their work? (10) How can a university aid in high-school chemical education? The method used was the questionnaire method, which, in spite of its limitations, appeared to be the only practical way of getting the needed information. A questionnaire was sent to the chemistry teacher a t each of the high schools, both public and private, which is listed by the State Department of Education, with a request that the questions be answered and returned. Data from high schools which are operated in connection with colleges was eliminated, because of the inability to separate the college facilities from those of the high school. Number of questionnaires sent out (excluding the schools just noted). . . Number of questionnaires returned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Number of school\ traching chemistry of those answrnng . . Number of acl~oolsnot teaching chemistry uf those aanswrring . . Total number of senior high-school students in the 42 high schools... . . . Total number of students in chemistry in 42 high schools.. . . . . . . . . . . . . *Paper given before the Utah Academy of Sciences, M a y 9. 1931 2079
64 50 (81.6%) 42 ( 8 4 7 ) A (16";)
16,686 2.329 (14%)
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
OCTOBER, 1931
The schools were grouped arbitrarily into three groups: (1) schools with enrolments of 200 or fewer students; (2) schools with enrolments between 200 and 500; (3) schools withenrolments over 500, in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades. TABLE I Enrolment in Chemistry According to Size of School
1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-10 . . . . . . . . . . . 11-15 . . . . . . . . . . . 16-20 . . . . . . . . . . . 21-25 . . . . . . . . . . . 26-30 . . . . . . . . . . . Above 3 0 . . ...... Per cent of totals.
1 2 2 5 3 2 2 17.9
Nine of the 17 schools, with enrolments below 200 students, offer chemistry in alternate years, while one of the 14 schools of 200-500 enrolment, alternates. In schools giving chemistry in alternate years, the chemistry enrolment was divided by 2 to get the number enrolled per year. It will be noted in Table I that the per cent of the high-school enrolment studying chemistry is considerably smaller in the large high schools than in the smaller ones. This is probably due to an enriched curriculum in the larger schools. TABLE II Undergraduate Majors of Chemistry Teachers (39 Teachers) Undngraduolr Mqior
No.of Tenckerr
Pcr Crnl
Chemistry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Physics, Mathematics, Science.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Agriculture, Biological Sciences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Education, Psychology, Physical.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mechanic Arts.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
38.4 25.6 20.5 15.4
I t appears that about five-sixths of the chemistry teachers majored in one of the more or less related fields, and that about one-sixth majored in quite unrelated fields. TABLE 111 Chemistry Cowses Studied by Chemistry Teachers (42 Teachers) Courser Slvdicd
No. of Trocharr
General or inorganic, only.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General and organic, only.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General, qualitative, quantitative, organic.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Organic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Biological . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Industrial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 4 4 34 14 9 13
Per Cent
2.38 9.55 9.55 81 33.3 21.4 31
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STATUS OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
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Table I11 shows the courses which have been studied, to some degree, by the teachers. There is a wide range in the number of courses, varying between one course and all the courses indicated. This suggests one cause of the variation seen in college classes in chemistry. TABLE N Distribution of Teachers According to Chemistry Credits (42 Teachers) No. Quorlcr Hours Credit i n Chcmisiry. Including Groduole Crrdil
Per
No. of Taarkrrr
Cenl
10 or fewer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 11-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 16-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 7 26-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 46-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 56-75 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 76-95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9G105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Above 105.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
4.76 7.15 26.2 16.7 23.8 4.76 7.15 2.38 4.76 2.38
Table IV shows that about 12% of the teachers have 15 or fewer quarter hours credit, and it will be noted that the median is about 33 credits. The range is very wide. This, probably, has an effect on the quality of the courses given by the teachers. TABLE V Institutions Which Furnished Teachers of Chemistry (42 Teachers) Number of Taochns
Inslilufior
Utah State A. C.. . . . . . . . . . . . 21 University of Utah.. . . . . . . . . 8 Brigham Young University.. . i Colleges outside of Utah. . . . 6
PITCenl 50
19 16.7 14.3
About six-sevenths of the teachers of chemistry in Utah schools were trained in Utah colleges, and half of all the teachers are graduates of the Utah State Agricultural College. TABLE VI Teaching Experience (42 Chemistry Teachers) Years Experience
T o l d Erpericnc~ Tearhrrr Per Can1
lyear . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2 years.. . . . . . . . . . 2 3-5 years.. . . . . . . . 5 5-10 years.. . . . . 13 10-15 years.. . . . . . 13 16 or over.. . . . . . 6
7.15 4.8 11.8 31 31 14.3
Chcmislr~Erperirnce Tearhers Per Ccnl
8 3 14 9 6 2
19 7.15 33.2 21.2 14.3 4.8
In Prasrnl H . S . T ~ o c h c r l Pcr Cenl
6 4 14 9 7 2
14.3 9.6 33.2 21.2 16.7 4.8
Table VI shows that about 7% of the teachers of chemistry are having their first year of teaching experience, and that the teachers have, in
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
Ocrosm, 1931
general, had considerable experience. About one-fifth of the teachers are teaching chemistry for the first time, and one-seventh are teaching in their present school for the first time. TABLE VII Recency of Raining (of Those Having Done No Graduate Workin Chemistry) D a r ~of Bochclor'r Dcgrrc
No. of Tcochnr
Per Cenl of All Tcnchns
Last 10 years.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 20 years to 10 years ago.. . . . . . . . . . 7 Over 20 years.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
47.6 16.6 2.38
Assuming that no undergraduate work has been done in chemistry since graduation, Table VII shows that nearly half of the teachers obtained bachelor's degrees during the last ten years, and that almost one-fifth received degrees more than ten years ago, and have done no further work in chemistry. In the light of the rapid progress being made in chemistry, it would appear very desirable for all teachers to continue their studies. TABLE YIII Teaching Time Devoted to Chemistry Perrrnlagc of
Timc
Nurnbcr of Teorhns
20 and below.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2 M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 40-60 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6 M O. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 80-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
P n Cenl
31 35.8 19 2.38 11.9
Table VIII shows that about one-third of the teachers devote 20% or less of their teaching time to chemistry, one-third devote 20-40% of their time, and one-third devote 40 to 100% of their time to chemistry teaching. TABLE IX Frequency of Other Subjects Taught by Teacbers of Chemistry Subirrlr Tough,
N l m b n of Teachers
Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Algebra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Geometry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Botany. Biology, Physiology.. . . . Agriculture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Physical Education.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Civics, Sociology, Economics. . . . . . . Principal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Science.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Commercial Law, Business.. . . . . Arithmetic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Manual Arts.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Geology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22 18 15 10 9 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1
1
Per Ccnl
52.4 43 35.7 23.8 21.4 9.5 7.15 7.15 7.15 4.75 4.75 4.75 2.38 2.38
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STATUS OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
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Tahle IX shows the frequency of other subjects taught by chemistry teachers; i. e., physics is taught by over half of the chemistry teachers. TABLE X Data Regarding Teacher's Graduate and Related Work Par Crnr
No. of teachers with Master's degrees.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. No. of teachers having done graduate work in chemistry.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 Range of graduate credit hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 2 t o 75 No. of teachers having had a course in methods of teaching chemistry. . . . . 9 No. of teachers who have no credit in college mathematics.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 No.of teachen who have 15 or fewer credits in college mathematics. . . . . . 2 2 No. of teachers who have more than 15 credits in college mathematics. . . . .20 No. of teachers who have no credit in college physics.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 No. of teachen who have 15or fewer credit hours incollege physics. . . . . . .18 No. of teachen who have more than 15 credit hours in college physics. . . . .24
11.9 33.3 21.4 11.9 52.4 47.6 16.7 42.8 57.2
I t appears that the training of some of the chemistry teachers in the related fields of physics and mathematics is inadequate. TABLE XI Age Distribution of Teachers Age
Numbn of Tcorhrrr
~CI~CEX:
20-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2630. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 31-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 36-40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 41-50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Pcr Ccnl
9.5 21.4 26.2 26.2 16.7
Tahle X I shows that there are few very young teachers and no old teachers, and that about 75% are between 26 and 40 years of age. TABLE XII Professional Journals Read Regularly by Chemistry Teachers Journols Read
Numkr of Tcochnr
JOURNAL OF C ~ M I C A EDUCATTIDON.. L 28 Journal Amer. Chem. Society.. ...... 10 Schol S h c e & Mathem&ics.. . . . . . 9 Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Pn Cant
66.7 23.8 21.4 40.5
Tahle XI1 shows that the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION is used by two-thirds of the teachers, and that the other three journals are used by one-fifth to two-fifths of the teachers. Tahle XI11 shows that the approximate cost per pupil of chemistry, aside from teacher's salary and the school plant, is nearly twice as large in schools with enrolments below 200 as in schools with enrolments between 20CL500, and 2.6 times as much as in schools with over 500 students. The factor(0.06) represents the interest on the investment in equipment and
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
Ocrosm, 1931
TABLE XILI Approximate Annual Cost per Capita in Relation to Size of School (35 Schools) C o r l w Sludrnl Enrolled in Chcmislw
Sire ojSrhaol (Enrolmenl)
Bdow Zoo
Ahour 500
20&500
Below $2.50.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 6 4 $2.50to$5.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 1 $5.00 t o $7.50. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 $7.50 t o 810.W.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Above$10.00.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 Average cost by schools.. . . . 8 . 2 3 4.44 3.14 1.72t06.35 Range of distribution.. . . . . . . . 3.00 to 23.00 1.37 to 15.50 Approximate annual cost per pupil = [(OOG) (Value of equipment and supplies annual expenditure reference expenditure]/(no. enrolled). annual expenditure reference e x p e n d i t ~ r e ] / ( ~ no. / ~ enrolled) = [0.12 (value) cost per pupil in schools giving chemistry in alternate years.
+
+
+
+
supplies carried over from year to year. This table represents no more than an approximation, since the data upon which it is based may be somewliat inaccurate. TABLE XIV Amounts Spent Annually for Reference Books and Journals for Student Use (41 Sehools) Amount
Bclow ZOO Srhaolr %
0 to $5.00.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 28.6 $5.01 to $10 . . . . . . . . . . . 5 11.9 $10.01to$20 . . . . . . . . . . . $20.01to%30. . . . . . . . . . . Over $30.00. . . . . . . . . . . . Average per school.. . . . . $4.18 Range.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $0-10.00
20G50O
% 6 14.3 3 7.1 3 7.1 1 2.38 1 2.38 $11.57 SG50.00
Schools
500 or o u a
Schools
4 2 3
%
9.5 4.76 7.1
.. 1 2.38 $12.20 s 5 0 . 00
Table XIV shows the distribution of schools with respect to the amounts reported as spent annually by the schools for reference books and journals for use by chemistry students. LABORATORY ADMINISTRATION
Laboratory fees are charged by 20 schools or 47.6%. Amount ranges between 50 cents and WOO. Breakage deposits are required by 22 schools or 51.4%. Amount ranges between $1.00 and $200.
In answer to the question, "Do teacher demonstrations take the place entirely of student laboratory work?" forty-one schools answered "no" and one said, "mostly, because of inadequate facilities." All require student laboratory work, with this one exception, who answered "partly." In 26 schools, 62% of the laboratory periods are single periods, mostly one hour. The other 16 or 38% have double periods. In 18 schools (43%) project method of teaching is used and in 35 schools (83%) supervised study method is used. One wonders how supervised
VOL.8, NO. 10
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STATUS OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
study method can be used effectively with the small amount of reference material obtained yearly. In 30 schools, (76%), supplies are administered in the laboratory by the teacher from a stock room; in only four of these cases was the teacher aided by an assistant. It seems to the writer to be more desirable for the teacher to be present in the laboratory supervising the study and checking the work of the students, than to stay in the stock room to do the work which a high-school boy could do. In six schools, an assistant administers the supplies from the stock room. In two schools, the Freas system is used. The topics in the A. C. S. list of Minimum Essentials are included in the courses given in 33 schools, (79%), while six (14%), said that their courses did not include them. Three schools did not answer the question. Elementary qualitative analysis is included in the courses of 16 schools, (38%) and is not included in the courses of the other 26 (62%).
* * * * Chemistry is taught as a 12th year subject in 13 schools, as an eleventh year subject in 9 schools, and a subject for mixed 11th and 12th year students in 20 schools.
Teachers' Problems In answer to the question "What problems or difficulties confront you in your chemistry teaching?" the following were given by the number of teachers indicated. T~orharr'Sugpeslions
No.of Tirncr Civrr
Insufficient time for covering subject matter.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Students lack proper foundation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Inadequatelaboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .:. 10 Lackoftimeforlahoratorywork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Lack of teacher time.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 To make course practical and still meet college requirements.. . . . . . . . . . . 5 Correlation of laboratory and class work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Lack of equipment and supplies.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i To understand experiments before performing them.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Inadequatelibra ry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A satisfactory way of handling supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Valid method of measuring progress.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 Whether t o replace student laboratory work by teacher demonstration.. . To handle dull students.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 To develop originality and initiative in students.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Conflict with other classes during double laboratory periods. . . . . . . . . . . . 1
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Ocrossn. 1931
To get interest in problem work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Getting all students to get the scientific spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Getting individual work in laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
H o w Could a University Aid You in Your Work? No.of Timer Given 1. Notify high-schoal teachers wherein students show Lack of training . . . 2 2. Sunnest . . simple and effectiveset-ups for demonstrations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3. Emphasize the necessity for study of chemistry by the masses ........ 2 4 . By promoting science dub for i n s t r u c t o r s t o call attention to modern theories and developments in chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5. Assist in determining proper contents for a course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 . Give summer course in cumculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7. Give summer course in new developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8. Give course on up-to-date methods of teaching subject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 9 Provide projection lantern slides, visual education materials . . . . . . . . . . 3 10. Provide goad library reference materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 11. Help school boards t o see necessity for more adequate equipment . . . . . 1 12. By requiring courses in chemistry of all junior and senior high-school teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 13. By furnishing a list of best reference books for high-school chemistry and keeping it revised . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 14. By giving popular competitive tests with appropriate rewards . . . . . . . . 1
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