The Correlation of Laboratory and Classroom Work in the Teaching of High-School Chemistry

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to compare the relative efficiency of three methods of correlating classroom and laboratory work, in the study of high-school chemistry, as measured by immediate and delayed recall of subject matter. It will be seen that the methods vary with relative time of class and experiment ; but that other factors were kept as nearly constant as possible. The three procedures are indicated as : method 0, method 1, and method 2. By method 0, the experiment preceded the class work ; by method 1, a one day pre-view of the topic was made be fore the experiment; by method 2, all class-room work was completed before the laboratory period. The study will attempt to present answers to the following questions : 1. Will the pupil learn more effectively if he does the experiment and then studies in related subject matter than if he is given a pre-view of the topic in class and then w^orks on the experiment? 2. Will the pupil do better if he thoroughly covers the work in class before he does any laboratory work? 3. Which method is most efficient in instructing pupils of differing degrees of intelligence? Science teachers will agree probably that in beginning natural science courses, such as are found in the ordinary high school, the classroom and laboratory work should be definitely interrelated ; that is, on any given topic the two should run parallel, or at least one should follow the other quite closely. The committee on Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society, published in 19241 a Standard Minimum High-School Course in Chemistry. One of the principal teaching objectives of this course is : uTo develop a careful correlation between recitation and ex periment. Whether the recitation should be followed by the experi ment or whether it is desirable to reverse the order is not stated.