Table Of Contentuz<m school English instruction anjd» its relation
TO A COLLEGE PROGRAM IN THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS
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Byron H/Van Eoekel
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
in the Department of Education, in the Graduate
College of the State university of Iowa
August, 1950
ProQuest Number: 10907209
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AG KN OWL33DGEM ENTS
It has been a special privilege to
have had the guidance of Professor J. B. Stroud
In the conduct of this study.
Gratitude Is expressed to the adminis
trators $ teachers, and pupils of* the participating
schools for their willing cooperation.
Ill
TABLE OF G O m m t S
Chapter Page
I Statement of the Problem •»*•»••»*♦»«» 1
XI Procedure ...... 6
Criterion Teats 8
The Sample ....... ***......*...... 10
Test Administration and Scoring**** 15
XIX Presentation and Interpretation
of Data ....... 19
Aims* Methods and Content of
High School English Curricula. 19
Instruction in Grammar,
Punctuation, and Usage ...... 24
Instruction In Exposition,
Argumentation, Criticism,
and Narration . * * • *......... 55
Instruction in W r i t i n g 34
Ins true tion In Beading 41
Instruction In Spelling**..... 45
The Aims of High School
English Instruction* *****..... 47
General Scholastic Ability of
High School Seniors...... ».«•«*,»** 48
Achievement of High School Seniors
in Reading and Writing* .... 51
Alms, Content, Methods, and
Attainments of Communication Skills 60
IV Summary and Conclusions* * * *...... 65
Bibliography ............ •» 72
Appendix.............* ***** 75
Iv
TABLE Of FI 0ORBS
Figure Page
1 Distributions of Composite Scores
on Iowa Test® of Educational
Development ................ 49
2 Comparison of Scores on Test of
English Placement **»»•»»• 52
5 Comparison of Scores on Test of
Interpretation of Heading Materials
in the Social Studios .......... 54
4 Comparison of Scores on Test of
Interprstation of Heading Materials
In the Natural Sciences***......******* 55
5 Comparison of Scores on Test of
Interpretation of Literary Material®** 56
6 Comparison of Scores on Test of
Ceneral V o c a b u l a r y . 58
7 Comparison of Scores on Test of
Reading Bate ............... 59
8 Comparison of Scores on Test of
Theme Writing ............ * • •» 81
V
TABLE OF TABLES
Table Page
I Course Offerings in English In the • ■
Schools In this Study*......... 21
XX How the Content of High School
English Courses la Determined *«»»••»*• 23
XXX Graduation Requirements in English
in the Schools in this Study.......... 25
IV provisions in the Course-of Study
for Instruction in Standard Formal
English ©n& Standard Informal English* 27
V Courses in English Providing
Systematic Instruction In Grarmaar,
Punctuation, and U s a g e 28
¥1 Time Allotments for Systematic
Instruction in Grammar, Punctuation,
and Usage......... 29
¥11 Instructional Techniques Used in
the Teaching of Grammar, Punctuation,
and Usage ...... 31
VXIX Einds of Writing High School Students
Bo In Various Courses in English*•«•** 35
IX Writing Bon® by High School Students * • 36
X Courses in English Providing
Expository Writing»•**•«*.»«..... 37
XI Courses in English Providing
Argumentative Writing *.... *....... 38
vi
TABLE OF TABLES (continued)
Table Page
XII Course* In English Providing
H&rr&tlve writing#*.«#*.... *....... 39
XIII Courses In English providing
Systematic Instruction in Reading.**#* 42
XIV Courses In English Providing
Systematic Instruction In Spelling.#** 46
Chapter I
STATEMENT OP THE PROBLEM
In 1944 a number of curricular revisions were
Instituted in the College of Liberal Arts of the State
University of Iowa* These curricular changes Involved
the establishment of a Basic Skills Program and a number
of Cor© Courses which ar© considered basic to a general
education and which constitiit© a unit known as the General
Studies# The areas which comprise the Basic Skills ar©
Communication Skills, Mathematics Skills, and Physical
Education Skills. There has been widespread interest In
this curriculum, sometimes amounting to debate, since
Its adoption. In particular, there has boon some question
as to the extent to which instruction in Communication
Skills Is remedial in character and the extent to which
it is at a collegiate level. There appears to be a need,
then, for the identlfication of those elements In the
Communication Skills Program which are remedial in charac
ter and those elements which ar© at the college level of
Instruction.
On© may define remedial Instruction as that de
signed to remove deficiencies resulting from poor teaching
1
or poor learning as In Blair’a characterization. Gates
has characterised remedial instruction as a form of teach
ing designed to Improve abilities In which the student
2
shows a deficiency. The latter statement does not fix
the blame. We ar© faced with the fact that most freshmen
enrolling at the State University of Iowa are deficient
in writing, reading, and speaking; at least ar© judged
not to have attained a level thought to be adequate for
college students and college graduates. However, this
\ i
M level of competency is attainable in high school as
shown by the fact that some freshmen exhibit it upon
entrance, through examination. To show that some can
is not tantamount to showing that all can. Because of
T7 Blair' states, Remedial "teaching- has’ as one of its chief
functions the remedying or removal of the effects of
originally poor teaching and poor learning. It is thus
concerned with the pupil who for on© reason or another
has formed ineffective methods of handling the tools of
education."
G. M. Blair, Diagnostic and Remedial Teaching in
Secondary Schools.' TheMacmillan Co., Hew York, 1947,
p • 14 •
2. Gates points out, "The phrase ^remedial instruction*
implies that it la a process of teaching for the purpose
of remedying some difficulty or deficiency. In current
usage remedial Instruction is the form of teaching
undertaken to Improve abilities In which diagnosis has
revealed deficiency."
A. I. Gates, The Improvement of Heading— A Program
of Remedial Methods. 3rd Edition. The Macmillan Co.,
yT»»g *4 . 7W,| IJ IIWIpII.M M MIMSyO .............................................. HI W *
3
various circumstances— student *s mental abilities, horn©
background, and teacher competency and conditions under
which ha works— It may be too much to expect the great
majority of freshman to hav© attained a collegiate level
of proficiency in communication skills upon termination
v of high school study.
Perhaps, too, some consideration should be given
to th© present day high school In America and particularly
to high schools In Iowa* 'The high school In America to a
large degree has become a common school* Educational
authorities ar© committed to almost universal high school
education* ^ At present only about a fourth of the graduates
of our high schools go to college* The educational needs
of all youth of high school must be met* Th© high school
In America is committed to th© training of citizens prima
rily and to preparing students for college work secondarily*
Th© state of Iowa has more than 900 high schools,
most of which ar© quit© small. ^ For th© most part students
who are going to college and the much larger number of those
who ar© not must be taught in the same classes and in the
same curriculum. In these classes and curricula college
preparatory work should not receive disproportionate empha
sis •
It seems then that th© question of whether or
not college instruction In communication skills Is to b©
