Table Of ContentTHE SELECTION OP OB JECTIVES* 'PRINCIPLES : AKIP*
GENERALIZATIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL! (HiE&ISTRY
by
Robert Rood Buell
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
ProQuest Number: 10831753
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ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The writer wishes to express his sincere
appreciation for the help and encouragement of Dr* L* A*
Van Dyke throughout the preparation of this study*
To Miss Luanria G» Hall and the staff of the
University of Iowa libraries he Is greatly indebted for
obtaining for use In this study many unpublished docu
ments from other institutions and for aid in finding
much of the research material shown herein*
To the fifty men and women who composed the
-4-jury for evaluation of principles, the writer wishes to
cb
- extend his appreciation for cooperation and Interest*
Especially to the following men he wishes to express his
appreciation for the time they spent in checking various
phases of the study: Dr* George Glockler, Dr* Clarence
P. Berg, Dr* Lothrop Smith, Dr* Ira H# Pierce, Dr* F* E*
Brown, Dr* J* A* Wilkinson, and Mr* Dwight Wennersten*
N
K) To Miss Helen Morris, Mr* 01eo Strlbley, and
X
Mr* James Kosar the writer wishes to express appreciation
h
cc
£ for work in preparing this manuscript*
M
W
- To the entire staff of the College of Education
1Oa
*at the University of Iowa the writer is indebted for the
<J
^background materials used as the basis of the idea
^behind this study*
70
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iii
TABLE OF C OH‘TENTS
Chapter Pag©
I Introduction, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Need for the Study * • * • . * * . * * • * 1
Purpose and Contribution of this Study * • 6
Scope and Delimitation of the Study. « . • 7
possible Uses for the Study, . . . . . . . 10
Sources and Treatment of Data. . . . . . . 12
Definitions. • * * * • * * • * # • * * * • 14
Belated Studies* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
II Objectives for High School Chemistry. . . . . 19
Introduction . . . . . . . . 19
Opinions of Experts on Objectives . . . 25
Analyses of Newspapers and Periodicals. 42
Analyses of Interests and Activities. » 46
Basis for Objectives • • • • * . • • * • • 60
Objectives for High School Chemistry . . . 67
III Essential and Desirable Principles for High
School Chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Introductory Statement . . . . . . . . . . 94
Compilation of Principles. . . . . . . . . 96
Evidence from Other Studies* . . . . . . . 102
Opinions of a Board of Experts on the
Working List of Chemical Principles . . . 198
Statement of the Reference List of Prin
ciples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
IV Generalizations for the Teaching of Chemistry 241
Delimitation of Concept* 241
Generalization as a Process of Thought . . £43
Nature of the Generalization (End-Product) 247
Generalizations* . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
V Illustrative Procedure for Developing a
Generalization in the Classroom* • • • • • • 270
Raising the Problem* . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Collecting Data and Formulating Hypothesis 282
Testing the Hypothesis . . . . . . . . . . 284
Formulating the Generalization . . . . . . 285
Application of the Generalization* • • • • 288
Evaluation 290
Conclusions and Limitations. . . . . . . . 293
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Chapter Fag©
VI Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations. • • 296
Bibliography* . * • * * • * * • * ♦ • * * ♦ * 303
Special Bibliography on Generalization. . . . 330
Appendix A. 339
Appendix B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Appendix C. . . • • • . . . . . . . . . . . • 353
Appendix D. . . . . . ♦ » * * • • . . . . . . 368
V
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1 Textbooks Analyzed by Debus# Moore, and
Lucas in High School Chemistry* * * • • * * 103
2 Occupational Groups of Raters for Utili
tarian Index lumbers (Wray) * # * # * « * * 119
3 Interest Ratings of Students and Importance
Ratings of Students in Chemistry* Highest
and Lowest Values (Goldstein) * * • ♦ ♦ * • 158
4 Usefulness of Certain Topics to Men and
Women with Different Amounts of Education
(Hettels).................................. 181
vi
TABLE OF TABLES
Number Page
I Percentile Hanks by Frequency of Appearance
and Amount of Space in Textbooks Devoted to
Principles of Chemistry * * * * * * 106
II Evaluation in Terms of Frequency of Occurrence
of Certain Principles in the College Entrance
Board* Regents % and New South Wales Examina
tions in Chemistry (Pruitt) » * • • * • • • * 114
III Check-List and Jury Ratings of Chemical Prin
ciples* * i • . , 120
IV Check-List and Jury Eatings of Chemical Prin
ciples* * * « # • • • • * . • * • • • « * • * 125
V Principles of Chemistry Discovered In Maga
zines* Periodicals and Newspapers In Terms
of Percentile Hanks Based on Frequency of
Occurrence or Word Space. * * * • * • • « • * 157
VI Frequency of Occurrence of Principles of
Chemistry In Popular and Trade Books and
Technical Magazines * * • • * • • • * • * » * 145
VII Principles of Chemistry Hated in Terms of
Student Interests as Revealed by Questions
Asked in School (Flack) . . * * .............155
VIII Frequency-Pleasure indices of Principles of
Chemistry as Shown by Investigations of
Martin and Wray * * • • * • * • • • • • • « • 168
IX Percentage of Persons In General and Special
Groups Who Considered Certain Principles of
Chemistry of Greatest Value and of Great
Value (M* Gillson)* * * • • • • * • • • • • • 175
. X Frequency of Occurrence of Various Principles
Needed to Make More Meaningful Day-to-Day
Activities (Showalter). • • • • • • • • • • # 187
XI The Allotment of Space in Chemistry Textbooks
as Indicated by the Number of Words Devoted
to Household Arts Compared with the Rptings
Given Certain Topics on the Osborne Report. • 195
vi i
TABLE OF TABLES (Continued)
Number Page
XII Distribution of Timbers of Board of Experts
by States and Groups# « * • • » * • • • • • 203
XIII Ratings of Fifty Experts on 150 Principles
of Chemistry# • ♦ # # • 206
XIV Rank Order of 150 Principles of Chemistry
Based Upon Descending Values of Index
Numbers Calculated from Ratings of Fifty
Experts • • • » * • • * . . # • • • • • • • 210
XV Frequency of Ratings of Principles of
Chemistry in Terms of Index Numbers Based
on Ratings by Fifty Experts • • • * . . . . 215
XVI Numbers of Principles Rated As Essential by
Fifty Experts 215
XVII Reference List of Principles of Chemistry# • 223
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
A*Ne^saforaatht^BStu^
For some time two events have been taking place
simultaneously in chemical education at the secondary
school level In the United States* (toe of these has been
a series of attempts at reorganization of high school
chemistry* These attempts have been in various directions:
consumer chemistry* fused physical science courses,
differentiated courses for boys and girls, and others.
This event rather indicates the dissatisfaction of chem
istry teachers with the status quo as far as organization,
objectives, methods, and philosophy of chemistry teaching
are concerned*
Several things have brought about this trend.
For one thing, there has been a growing resentment of the
influence that the college and university has had on the
high school curriculum; this has resulted in attempts to
make the high school courses, not only in chemistry, but
other subjects of study as well, better fitted for general
education of students rather than to prepare them for
college* Another influence has been the findings of
psychologists with regard to Individual differences; that
provision should be made in high school study to care
for the differences in ability and interest which do exist
between human beings has been a tenet of the faith of
those interested In reorganization of the high school
curriculum* A third influence which has brought about
this trend is the recognition that the plurality of stu
dents graduating from high school do not enter upon study
in higher Institutions of learning; this has served to
emphasize both practicality in the subject matter fields
and basic principles where such could be applied. Finally,
a fourth influence has been seen at work among science
teachers: dissatisfaction with the laboratory method of
science teaching as it has been all too frequently carried
out— a method which has not given rise to the ability on
the part of students of using the scientific method; this
dissatisfaction has resulted in numerous inquiries Into
the actual operation of the scientific method of thought
and has brought forth a new and different emphasis as far
as the laboratory work in the physical and biological
sciences Is concerned*
These influences have had a direct bearing upon
the other event which has been taking place. This has
been a wave of research In science education, with the
accumulation In the archives of graduate schools and
colleges throughout the United States of published and
unpublished theses and dissertations which have attempted
to solve some of the problems in the field of high school
science. No small part of these has been concerned with
high school chemistry. But many of these findings.
