Teaching High-School Pupils How to Study

Abstract

As part of a larger study the purpose of which is a bettered articulation between high school and college, how-to-study courses have been conducted in several large secondary schools in Buffalo. A number of the classes have been instructed by the writers. The content of these courses, together with their effects on school work, is described in the following pages. The course netted one-half unit of high-school credit. The pupils were required to do a moderate amount of home study and to pass a simple final examination. They were particularly encouraged to apply the suggested study techniques, although no method of checking was devised to see how frequently they did so. The class training included instruction in each of the following units: (i) the value of good study habits and of a good high-school record; (2) note-taking; (3) improvement of reading ability; (4) the theory of habit formation and how to apply it; (5) improvement of memory; (6) problemsolving, reflective thinking, and the scientific attitude; (7) methods of preparing for and of writing examinations; (8) improvement of vocabulary (especially emphasized in Experiments A and C); and (9) the use of the library (included only in Experiments C and D). In addition, every effort was made in short, after-school chats and in one personal conference with each pupil to improve the morale of the individual by showing him his academic potentialities, by helping him plan a course of study to achieve his educational goal, and by aiding several to regain a lost self-confidence. Among the last named were a few pupils who made notable gains in their school averages. I This study was made possible through a grant from the General Education Board. The writers wish to express their appreciation of the helpful co-operation of M. Smith Thomas, principal of Hutchinson Central High School, and of Frank R. Gott, principal of Lafayette High School, both of Buffalo.