The CHEMISTRY METHODS
COURSE* M. P. PUTERBAUGH Ashland College, Ashland. Ohio
A s a part of the main problem of teacher-preparation the "methods" course i n the teaching field of chemistry is considered. It i s especially important that a science teacher be introduced to the many fvoblems, duties, and devices that make u p classroom and laboratory experiences. The methods course given by the author sufifilements the fvofessional courses in education. About sixteen class sessions are devoted to a consideration of such topics as "Objectives," "Lesson Plans," " C h s and Laboratory Relations," "Purchase and Care of Equipment," and the like. I n additimt each student spends about thirty clock hours on such typical work as making u p solutions, and helping i n stock room, laboratory, and classroam. This experience benefits future teachers and most students majoring i n chemistry as well.
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UCH attention has been given in recent years to the training of chemistry teachers by both the education and the chemistry groups. It seems, however, that the matter is not settled a t all. The problem bas many angles hut this discussion is concerned with only one of them-the Chemistry Methods Course. For a number of years the Ohio State Department of
* Based upon a paper presented before the Ohio Academy of Science at the meeting of the Academy in Columbus, Ohio. March 14. 1937.
Education has required the applicant for a teacher's certificate to take a special methods course in one or more of his teaching fields. It soon became evident that, if the various college departments did not give these courses, the education department would hane to give them. So a new task was passed on to many of us. Some have regarded this as a necessary evil and have slighted the work or even ridiculed it. Others have recognized it as a great opportunity and obligation to better the profession. There came the realization, also, that here was a chance to give special training to our students in the smaller colleges who are to help us as student assistants. Gradually, then, we have developed these methods courses by following largely our own patternst It is hoped that this discussion will result in an exchange of ideas and experiences which will help us do our task better than ever. First of all, the course should be given only to those who are well prepared in chemistry. We have tried to insist a t Ashland College that only those students with "B" averages in chemistry who are completing majors or minors in that subject are to be enrolled. We have also decided that, if the course seems valuable for those who plan to teach, it would be equally beneficial for
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course, order of topics, minimum essentials, objectives of chemistry teaching, and the like. With this background it is possible to consider, then, the preparation of the chemistry teacher. Four general topics are (1) personal qualifications, (2) professional training both in chemistry and educational subjects, (3) service to the community and to society, and (4) the duties of a chemistry teacher. Self-rating scales are pointed out and usually a lively discussion of the value of the education courses that are taken is in store a t this point. It is also important to note how different is the task of the chemistry teacher, or that of the other science teachers, from that of the history or language teacher. It is well to discourage the student here who thinks he might try teaching because it is a "snap," by having him read the article on "The duties of one in charge of a science department."4 At this point we may pause a moment while our graduate gets his position. We have not put into our course any "pointers" on how to get a job. We have assumed that this information is made available elsewhere and that there are no special suggestions about getting a chemistry teaching position. Nevertheless, the subject creeps into our discussion just the same. I t sometimes happens that the teacher is actually consulted on the textbook to be used, so it becomes necessaty, then, to consider the choice of text, manual, or work-book. Some excellent suggestions are offered in a number of articles in the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION mentioned by authors to whom reference has already been made, and a good rating scheme is given by Frank. In our library we have collected a number of texts and manuals so that we may discuss and rate them. It is both necessary and opportune a t this point to come to some conclusion as to the way the chemistry course is to be conducted. That brings up the whole question of the relation of laboratory work to the class work. All the arguments on both sides of this muchdebated question are presented and considered. It is difficult for a teacher who is so favorable to individual laboratory work to consider impartially with his students the suggested merits of any other plan, but an effort is made to do just that. If i t is agreed to proceed with individual laboratory work, it is necessary to choose a manual or work-book, to consider the relative amounts of time to be devoted to the laboratory and the class work, and how to keep the work of the two together, and to decide whether the laboratory study of a topic should precede the class discussion of it, or vice versa. Undoubtedly a number of other questions will be raised at this point also. Following the important decisions just reached one may well spend some time discussing in detail the ' G E O E N H E ~ V., E R "A , college course in methods of teaching various problems of classroom and laboratory instmc9, 1439 (1932). science," J. CHEM.EDUC., tion. A feature of this part of the course is to have the 2 PRESTON, C. E., "The high-school science teacher and his -
those who apply for positions as student assistants in our department. It will be seen that the course supplements other education courses such as Principles of Education, Observation, and Practice Teaching. It might seem that some of the topics discussed in the course would be of little value to a student who never intends to teach in high school, but almost without exception our students have greatly enjoyed the class discussions and arguments on all the topics. The course is conducted in a rather informal, roundtable discussion manner. One hour a week for a semester is spent in class sessions and about thirty clock hours are spent by each student in laboratory projects, thus giving two semester hours' credit. There are many outlines and books available which are intended for courses in science teaching in general. One of the best outlines is that presented by Vida Gegenbeimer of Russell Sage College.' Most of the general references suggested in this outline are good and the book by Preston2 should also be consulted. There are very few books devoted entirely to the teaching of chemistry, however. J. 0. Frank's book, "Teaching First-Year Chemi~try,"~ contains many very excellent ideas but no textbook has been found that is entirely satisfactory. Instead, the students are assigned topics and referred to the library for material. Reports are then given, and everyone enters into a rather lively discussion of the topics. The students have been urged to feel free to express their opinions on various phases of their past chemistry training and many of their reactions and "confessions" have been very enlightening and valuable. The first subject discussed includes the implications of the word "Science," i. e., the meanings of the term, the scientific method, the educational functions and values of the sciences, the viewpoint of the science teacher, and the aims of science teaching. Some students have revealed that they never quite caught the true spirit of science until they discussed this topic in this course. The next logical ste? is to discuss the place of chemistry in the curriculum. Such important questions as the relationship of chemistry to general science and the other sciences, as well as the correlation of highschool and college . chemistry are certainly stimulating. Lest we feel that theindividual teacher hasverylittle to say about this matter, it may be pointed out that our curricula are not static and a number of our pupils may some day find themselves to be superintendents or in other responsible positions and can actually bring about changes and improvements which may seem remote and visionary now. The discussion here may easily include a consideration of the content of the
work," McGraw-Hill B w k Co.. Inc., New York City, 1936, pp. xvi, xvii. a FRANK, J. 0 . . "Teaching first-year chemistry," Oshkosh, Wis., 1927, 148 pp.
CARPENTER. W. W.. "Questionnaire study of the duties of the one in charge of the department of science with particular reference to chemistry," J. CHEM.EDUC., 3, 533 (1926).
students prepare two lesson plans--one on a theoretical subject like atomic weights, gas laws, or ionization; and the other on a descriptive chapter such as oxygen, air, water, sulfur, or one of the metals. Of course, i t may be argued that this is not very valuable experience for a student who is not planning to teach high-school chemistry. But we have noticed that all the students in the Methods Course seem to have a more wholesome respect and sympathy for all their teachers after they try to outline a lesson plan on one of these topics and have the rest of the group point out the weaknesses in it. On the other hand, one may argue that either two lesson plans are too many or too few for a student who plans to teach. We defend our requirements on two grounds. The student will have additional opportunities in other education courses to formulate and carry out lesson plans. Yet, i t is evident to all that the ordinary professor of education who may know a great deal about the principles of education may be wholly ignorant of the pitfalls in presenting the periodic law, and only in a Chemistry Methods Course can an experienced chemistry teacher help the novice over one of the hardest places in the long, rough road. Upon turning our attention to laboratory instruction, we find many problems clamoring for solution. How are experiments to be selected? What kind of order must we have in the laboratory and how may it be maintained? How much are students to be assisted? What additional instructions to those in the manual are to be given? What about laboratory accidents and ventilation? How and when are laboratory notes to be recorded and how and when are they to be graded? These questions and others almost too numerous to mention arise a t once. They also bring up another group. In fact, a number of them are important enough to warrant the class spending an hour or more in their discussion. It may also be pointed out that, if parts of this course are of special interest to the students who will teach, the present matters under discussion are of interest to all. Think of the problem of ordering chemicals and apparatus and you will remember that this involves such questions as, "Where, when, what, and how buy these articles?" The matter of proper sizes of apparatus, grades, and brands of chemicals and apparatus, making up lists and specifications and getting quotatious, and other points so well known to teachers compose this group. A student need only have placed in his hands one of the new "unabridged dictionary" type catalogs and be told to spend four hundred dollars wisely to benefit thirty-two chemistry students and he will begin to see that he has a real task ahead. Closely associated with this problem is one of the safe storage, dispensing, repair, and inventory of the chemicals and apparatus. About this time one is reminded again that the author who listed fifty duties for the chemistry teacher simply stopped a t a convenient number! And again the realization haunts one that if this information is not given in this Methods Course it must be obtained in "the hard way."
Even the minor topic of laboratory notes grows into a larger topic involving class notes, reports on outside reading assignments, daily written work, mathematical problems, and the like. Then, because so much attention is being given generally to tests and measurements, and because a teacher must know something of student progress in order to plan the daily work, i t is profitable to consider the testing program for the course in chemistry. The discussion should include a t least constructing, administering, scoring, and interpreting the results of the new type objective tests. Finally the course closes with a consideration of two general topics-aids in maintaining interest, and chemical l i t e r a t u r t a n d whatever miscellaneous suggestions on teaching procedures have not been touched upon. By this is meant such topics as writing large on the blackboard, performing demonstrations, control of voice, assignment of lessons, and other general ideas. Under the title, "Aids in Maintaining Interest," are discussed such topics as posters, museum experiments, field trips, science clubs, "open house" exhibits, and schemes of visual education. We now have many lists of books and source material which have been recommended for school libraries.$ Whenever we see a high-school library with pitifully few books on chemistry we always suspect that someone did not know what books to buy and made no recommendation for their purchase. Before the student finishesthe Methods Course he should certainly be acquainted with a rather well-rounded bibliography and know how to find chemical information in the literature. Now, perhaps one of the most important parts of the Methods Course must be considered. What is the nature of the laboratory work the student is required to do? The general idea is that he is to be introduced to as many of the routine duties, which may later come to him, as possible. He unpacks shipments and sees what is necessary to make available to students such things as sodium, bromine, and the acids. He learns the tricks in making up ammonium carbonate solutions, stannous chloride solutions, and lime water. He takes an inventory of part of the storeroom and gets a conception of a pound bottle of mercuric oxide and a pound bottle of benzoic acid. The prnmising students do some assisting in the laboratory and help with remedial drill work for those students who are having difficulties. One student is usually assigned to keep the bulletin board supplied with interesting and current clippings. Another helps to prepare apparatus for class demonstrations and sets up "museum experiments." Some write for samples and displays and help to arrange permanent exhibits. Just recently an effort has been made to start collecting or compiling bibliographies. Recent issues of THISJOURNAL carried listsBof all articles which had occurred in two publicaa m p , v. s.,w. A. NOBS. AND R. D. REED, "Report of the Committee on Chemistry Libraries," ibid., 11, 114 (1934). ALYEA, H. N., "Bibliography for general chemistry from ,I part I,= ;bid., 13,76 (1936). Part 11, ihid., 13, 540 (1936).
tions to date which would be of interest to students in the chemistry course. More of this type of work would be extremely valuable to teachers and we hope soon to have available for our Methods Course a complete list of suitable articles in THISJOURNAL grouped under the topics considered in this course. You probably know by this time that the writer never had a Methods Course! It may be just another
case of a bachelor writing a treatise on child training. But the problem had to be faced and we have been guided many times by asking, "What do I wish I had known before I began to teach?" By coutributing your answer to this question you will help the colleges train a better corps of high-school teachers who may, in turn, exert a profound influence on our beloved science.
