TEACHING SCIENCE AS A "WAY OF LIFE" "Science is the field in which the human spirit can be expressed at its highest," says Dr. Gerald I,. Wendt of Pennsylvania State College. And regarding the training of students of science, Dr. George D. Rosengarten says: "Give (him) the tissue-building material, the fundamentals of science, impart to him its sfi'rit; then when he goes out to accomplish his life work he will shape and mold the materials according to the need of time and place and will breathe life into them." But are our present-day educators aware of the many modifications which should be made in our curricula in order to train our students in line with Dr. Rosengarten's suggestions? We would call your attention to a recent report' of John L. Tildsley, District Superintendent of the High Schools of New York City, to indicate the active part our high-school science teachers are taking in pointing out the relative position science should hold among the high-school subjects included in a typical curriculum. This searching and thorough analysis of the teaching of science in high schools of New York City is based upon questionnaires answered by 38 principals, 476 science teachers, and 16,000 pupils. The views expressed by the science teachers seem particularly valuable since the questionnaires were unsigned. The most valuable information obtained from the teachers was in the replies to the following: State concisely fundamental objective you vividly have in mind as you begin a period in the science you teach, arranging them in order of importance as determined by the stress you consciously lay upon them.
Some of the objectives stated were: 1. To develop in pupils an appreciation for the scientific method of thinking and the habit of applying this method t o other than strictly scientific subject matter. 2. The creation of an abiding interest in the subject itself. 3. Making the pupils walk larger in a larger world.
In addition to those objectives which aim to develop in the student a deeper appreciation of life, many concrete, everyday objectives "which Teaching Science as a "Way of Life," Ann. Report for 1927-28, Bull. of High Points, Oct., 1928. Copies of this report may be obtained free from the High-School Dept., Board of Education, 500 Park Avenue, New York City.
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science teaching should contribute t o the making of t h e effective are given. Only a few of these can be listed here.
man"
To develop power of accurate ohsenration; purposeful observation of matters significant to human beings; habits of work and study, skills; to develop the pupil's power of independent learning without being told; to develop scientific skepticism;to cause the pupil to see himself and things about him in right proportion; the building up of intellectual honesty: to develop an attitude of open-mindedness and tolerance. Commenting Tildsley says:
upon the adoption of all or any of these objectives, Mr.
Until the teacher has realized these objectives in himself, or at least honestly sought to do so. it is hopeless far him to set them before his pupils. He is wasting his energy. A teacher cannot teach that which he him& i s not.
On the
realization of
these objectives, one of the teachers writes:
The scientific method is a tool, perhaps an essential tool, for effective and rich living. But putting a tool into the hands of a craftsman does not necessitate the fashioning of an object with that tool; unless he realizes the need far an object or is inspired to the creation of one, his tool will lie idle. Even when the scientific method is rigorously and successfullyapplied hy a person in his profession, we know there is often no evidence of this training in situations not directly concerned with his specialty. Unless we ourselves, as teachers, synthesize science with culture, unless our science fits into a philosophy of life, unless in all our dealings and relations we show ourselves possessed of a scientific spirit, unless we are consciously training the emotional life, and, lastly, unless we frequently make the pupils aware of whither we are going and what we are trying to accomplish, we shall not in any way have altered their reaction pattern. S t a t e m e n t s included from t h e principals of representative high schools of N e w York City indicate that a large a m o u n t of science study is favored. Considerable space (pp. 82-100) is devoted to presenting t h e relative merits of the individual laboratory and the demonstration-discussion methods of teaching science. Mr. Tildsley comments upon t h e evidence presented as follows: With such positive opinions on the necessity for individual laboratory work as a method of realizing the objectives which a majority of our teachers have accepted, and with so many equally experienced and forward-looking teachers advocating the demonstration-discussion method as a possible and practicable means of inculcating the scientific attitude, it is evident that no decision can be finally made. Two
workable plans a r e t h e n suggested.
Under Plan I, each teacher would carry four classes, twenty-four periods per week of science teaching, he assigned no duties whatever outside of the science department, hut be assigned six periods either to assist in the laboratory, in the preparation room. or in the science office. All physical science classes are to he divided into sections so that one man shall not be responsible for the laboratory instruction of more than a t most eighteen pupils.
Under Plan 11, each teacher would be assigned five dasses, with no assignments of any kind outside the department hut would be assigned five periods per week to the preparation of demonstrations under the leadership of the head of the department, who in the future should always he an originating expert demonstrator. If Plan I1 be adopted, there must be a great improvement in the quality of demonstrations. Some teachers have recommended that one teacher in a department he assigned one class less and be required to prepare the sets for the department. Other teachers have recommended that sets be prepared in a central bureau and drawn by schools like sets of lantern slides.
In an a t t e m p t t o o b t a i n some constructive recommendations f r o m the science teachers f o r universalizing the scientific method the following quotation and request were included in the questionnaires. The scientific method is waywhere extolled and within certain limits is rigorously a .~.~ l i e dYet . the Duhlic mind, reinforced each year by a veritable army of youth which i i marchcd through scientific lnbonturizs and lectnre rooms, mnjrums und obrrvatorits. iz as untouched by scientific methods as if no such thing existed. (From l'res, lh~tler's report for 1927.)Accepting this statement as valid, what changes in the teaching of science for this army of youth in high schools would you suggest in order to have the scientific method influence mare largely their manifold activities throughout their lives? ~
~
From the answers to this request "may well come a recasting of our science cumculum, our science content, our science objectives, our science methodology." We quote f r o m the report: Many saw very dearly that to cause the scientific method so to become a part of the bone and sinew of the boys and girls who throng our high-schools as to iafluence their manifold activities throughout their lives was to create within a few school generations a new moral and intellectual world. Some 105 teachers showed by their answers that to cause pupils to understand the nature of the scientific method and to apply it within the field of science did not neeessarily insure customary actions in accordance with this method in other fields of human activity. They grasped fully Butler's contention and its implications. Sixty-six teachers saw clearly that the scientsc method would not in all prohahility become the dominating force in conduct with hiih-school pupils as a mere byproduct of the teaching process, but that the building up of the scientific method must become the chief objective of science teaching. To this end they recommended, therefore, de6nite lessons on the nature and significance of the scientific method and that "throughout the science murse the development of the scientific method of attacking a problem must he made the main objective of the elass work." As seven stated it, "the scienti6c method must be built into the lives of our pupils." With this as the chief objective there was a widespread belief that there must he greater emphasis on individual training; 175 insisted that science e l m s must be smaller to that end; acmrding to 64 teachers, that there might be more individual laboratory work better done, that sufficient time be given to laboratory work t o create a habit. and that the laboratory he a place of scientific investigations of the kind suitable for high-school pupils; 79, that there might be individual problem assignments; 30 w e d that the emphasis in science teaching be on method rather than on facts; 8, that a class be m l v e d into a body of scientists to tackle problems.
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A suggestion worthy of serious consideration was "unite all sciences into one department so that training in scientific method may be continuous for four years." Another,"the scientific method should be taught not merelyinsciencebut in all subjects." "All other departments must moperate in suggesting applications of the scientific method." "Apply principles of the scientific method to problems of the pupil's daily life and behavior." The principal and the teachers must be scientific in their attitudes toward all persons and all school matters." "Discuss in the classroom the failure of pupils to apply the scientific method in daily life." "Show pupils they often use scientific method and are not aware of it." "Present every subject in the curriculum so that it can contribute to a general scientific attitude.'' "Influence Regents to set examinations requiring the use of the scientific method." "Pupils must be checked up on poor thinking as an poor English." "Point out effectivenessof scientific method as general practice in outside operations." "Scientific trainine- to have anv ~racticalinfluence on students' lives must he directly applied t o .. matters outside the laboratory." "To have scientific method become part of a pupil's mental eauioment, he must be reached personally and stimulated to individual initiative, .. so classes must be small!' "Give pupils practice in thinking, reasoning, and talking about things they really know, not guess." "Suspend judgment yourself till you have the facts." "Make pupils realize that science is a constant factor in their lives." "Impress pupils with necessity of carrying into all walks of life this scientific attitude of mind." These suggestions, if fallowed in any one school in their totality, would undoubtedly create an atmosphere and environment favorable to building the science method into the lives of boys and girls. To the degree that they form a part of the public mind, it could not he said that "the oublic mind is as untouched bv scientific methods as if no such thing existed." As a further means of giving an understanding of just what is meant by the scientific method, more than twenty teachers have urged the addition of an "Introductory Course in the Lives of Great Scientists," "a course which gives considerable t i to the life work of great men of science and its effects an the course of modern progress." Another teacher puts it this way: "Study experiments conducted by two or three seat scientists before they were convinced that they had reached valid conclusions; the emphasis should he on the attitude of the worker, on the spirit in which he worked, rather than on the progress of the research itself!' Some fertile suggestions for the production of truly creative teachings are: "Synthesize science with culture." "Fit science into a philosophy of life!' "Train the emotional life." ''More thinking, less memorizing." "Show the growth of the scientific mind of the race." "Stimulate curiosity and inspire a lave of science." "Work for open-mindedness." "Substitute quality for quantity of ground covered." "Form habit of intellectual honesty." ~
The section of t h e report (pp. 112-28) devoted to personal opinions of students regarding ideal science teachers contains m u c h "food f o r thought" for those belonging to this professional group. Special qualities mentioned repeatedly were: The teacher shows a comprehensive knowledge of the subject, has the ability to make work interesting, communicating to the pupils his own enthusiasm: encourages questioning; is patient; drills, summarizes each topic; does not leave a topic before the students are familiar with it; is interested in the individual student: is friendly and sympathizes with the student's difficulties; makes the work practical, bringing in
actual illustrations from life; is impartial; shows a sense of humor; carries on experiments well.
The report closes with (1) numerous suggestions offered by the teachers for improving the teaching of science, and (2) impressions gained from reading the teachers' answers. Mr. Tildsley lists 26 recommendations which he believes will make more distinctive that which our teachers of science have to offer. Those which are of interest to chemistry teachers are: 1. Since time is needed by science teachers for the preparation of demonstration and laboratory exercises, no non-teaching assignments should be given such teachers other than supervised study assignments in science 2. Time allowance for physics and chemistry is suggested, as five periods per week for the first semester and six periods, including a double laboratory period, for the second semester. 3. Special effort by the way of meetings of chairmen of the science departments and of teachers themselves is advised, t o emphasize the oneness of theirwork and itsaims. 4. The importance of the development of sientific attitudes in pupils warrants a study of ways and means of developing it not only by science teachers but by teachen in the other departments as well. 5 . The importance of demonstrations in science teaching warrants the inclusion of a demonstration test as a part of a science teacher's examination for license. 6 . The question, "Do the units of science offered for graduation by the New York City high-school pupils in the dass of 1928 equip them for living efficiently and happily in this present age?" is asked of all high-school principals. 7. Every teacher of science should join, regularly attend and play his part in the proceedings of the scientific societies, and should read the science periodicals and bwks which deal with his subject.
Doubtless there are other groups of educators throughout the United States carrying out and profiting by similar investigations. May the cause of science teaching advance thereby! M. W. G.
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH Much has been written concerning scientific research, its place in everyday life and education, its possibilities as a career, its contributions to the advances of our modern civilization. This is not surprising, however, when we realize the vastness and the variety of the field which the phrase "scientific research covers. And then, too, we find? It is customary t o distinguish between research in what is called pure science and research in applied science-the first being that research which is undertaken for the purpose of extending our scientific knowledge without any thought of its industrial 1
J. W. Williamson, "Careers and Qualifications.
J. Educ. & Sch. World. 60,789-90 (Nov. 1,1928).
XI.
Scientific Research."
