SCIENCE TEACHERS SPEAK ONREQUIREMENTS

LEONARD A. FORDState Teachers College, MankaiOy Minnesota

What subject matter should be included in the preparation ofa prospective high school science teacher? Should he be pre-pared to teach one science or all sciences? Should he be preparedto teach outside the field of science; if so, what subject or sub-jects?

Statistics on placement and teaching combinations obtainedfrom the local placement bureau and other sources112 indicatethat science teachers should be prepared to teach all of the sci-ences and that mathematics is the most likely subject to be com-bined with science. This information does not indicate howbroad or intensive the training should be. The science teachersthemselves should be best qualified to know what constitutes awell rounded program in science and mathematics.The author was appointed by the science teachers in the Min-

nesota State Teachers Colleges to investigate minimum require-ments for science teachers. A questionnaire was prepared andanswered in whole or in part by 52 science teachers. Theseteachers were science majors at college and were now teachingin the small high schools in Minnesota. The frequency of repliesis indicated in the questionnaire.

September, 30, 1940The science instructors of the State Teachers Colleges in

Minnesota will meet this fall at the M.E.A. to discuss scienceofferings and requirements for science majors.The prospective high school science teacher who graduates

from the Minnesota State Teachers Colleges will likely obtainhis first position in a small high school where he will be askedto teach junior high school science. He will likely have a class ineither biology, chemistry or physics and some mathematics.Often a subject or two from other fields may be included in hisprogram.Your opinion in answer to the following questions will be

highly appreciated. A self addressed envelope is included.

1 Potthof?, Edward F., "What Combinations of Subjects Constitute the Teaching Load of SecondarySchool Teachers?" North Central Association Quarterly, x (October, 1935), p. 241.

2 Annual Catalog, 1940-1941, Central Missouri State Teachers College, Warrensburg, Missouri, p. 49.

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REQUIREMENTS FOR SCIENCE TEACHERS 285

1. Should the prospective science teacher be required to take(1) a divided major (some work in each of the fields: chem-istry, physics and biology) or (2) work in only one field?(1) 51, (2) 1. _

2. In the case of a divided major is one year’s work in each ofthe three fields sufficient background in science? Yes 21,No 30.

3. If 2 above is answered no, should the prospective scienceteacher take (1) one, (2) two, or (3) three years additionalin one of the fields? (1) 9, (2) 16, (3) 6.

4. In a divided major, should enough science be required in onefield so that the prospective science teacher would be quali-fied to do graduate work in that field? Yes 39, No 6.

5. Of the 192 quarter hours to graduate from the MinnesotaState Teachers Colleges, approximately how many hoursshould be devoted to science 66 (median) mathematics 24(median)?

6. Should mathematics be required of a science major? Yes 44,No 5.

7. If 6 above is yes, should the mathematics extend through(1) algebra, (2) trigonometry, (3) analytic geometry, (4)calculus? (1) 6, (2) 17, (3) 14, (4) 10.

8. Is the survey or orientation course in science of sufficientvalue to be required of science majors? Yes 28, No 21.

9. Aside from practice teaching, science methods or othercourses on science teaching, how many quarter hours in edu-cation should be a minimum? 12 (median).

10. What portion of the science training should be laboratorywork? (1) i, (2) -I, (3) i, (4) less than i. (1) 10, (2) 22, (3) 12,(4) -

11. Any comments that you may make on the minimum require-ments for science teaching would be appreciated. You mayuse the back of this sheet.

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The questionnaire reveals that science teachers believe theyneed a wide background in the entire science field in addition toseveral years of work in one specialized science. There shouldbe enough work in one science to enable the prospective teacherof science to do graduate work in that field.

Science teachers believe that approximately half of their un-dergraduate training (90 quarter hours) should be devoted to

286 SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

science (66 quarter hours) and mathematics (24 quarter hours).There seemed to be a diversity of opinion as to the value of

the survey or orientation course for science majors. Outside ofeducation work that had reference to science teaching, 12 hoursin this field was considered sufficient.The value of training in laboratory work was emphasized in

question ten where teachers stated that one-third of the sciencetraining should be in this phase of science work.

In their comments science teachers stated that their under-graduate training contained an overemphasis of non-science sub-ject matter. Required courses in education, music, art, and otherfields received considerable criticism by these teachers who feltthat their time could have been better directed by obtaining awealth of information about science.

A LOW-COST SCIENCE EXHIBIT

WARREN M. DAVISSteu’benrnlle High School, Steubenville, Ohio

In this age of popularization of science, teachers in the fieldare often called upon to prepare an exhibit which will presentsome phase or phases of their work. It would seem desirable andof great importance that in preparing such an exhibit, its educa-tional implications for the participating individuals be takeninto consideration. It is, in fact, quite in line with the philosophyof progressive education to look upon an exhibit as chiefly away of educating the participants, and secondarily as a presen-tation of the work accomplished by the school.The following idea for a display is based on the premise that

an exhibit can be assembled which will be of true general interestwhile being highly useful in education and at the same timebeing so low in cost that it can be produced by the poorestschool. Reference is made to an exhibit of materials useful inteaching science which are obtainable by any school free ofcharge.1

Chemistry classes taught by the writer have just completedsuch a display, prepared for the 1940 annual meeting of theEastern Ohio Teachers7 Association, and the response to the dis-play was gratifying in the extreme. It was also viewed by a

1 The writer has been greatly assisted in this work by Drs. Cahoon and Zirbes of Ohio State Univer-sity, Dr. Croxton of Minnesota State Teachers College and Miss Margaret Graf of Akron, Ohio.