246 ILLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



Frequent questioning should be the rule. Each piece 

 of data must be clearly announced, or better still, re- 

 corded upon the blackboard. Each student should be held 

 strictly for the i3roper recording of data as the exj^eri- 

 ment i^roceeds, and lil^ewise for adequate sketches of ap- 

 paratus and all connections. Such an exercise is justi- 

 fied only upon the ground that thinking and thoroughly 

 understanding every detail of the exercise is an im- 

 perative requirement. I doubt if it is nearly so difficult 

 to secure such results when conducting a group exercise 

 as it is when overseeing 10 to 20 students at individual 

 experiments. 



Now as to the subject of this paper : Research Work as 

 a Preparation for Teaching Science. If, as this paper as- 

 sumes, about one-half, or thereabouts, of the laboratory 

 exercises are based upon the study of situations arising 

 out of the questions proposed by the class and not to be 

 found, asked or answered in the text or manual, then the 

 burden of determining just how those investigations are 

 to be made falls upon the instructor. If such investiga- 

 tions are attempted, the instructor must plan many exer- 

 cises. In my opinion the fitting of the laboratory work, 

 as far as possible, into the environment of the class, 

 making the laboratory investigations reveal the facts 

 about the physical world about us, is a sure way of se- 

 curing true values, lasting interest, and vital cooperation 

 on the part of the students. 



The science teacher who has received considerable 

 training in research work is, in my judgment, much better 

 fitted to conduct experimentation, suggested by class 

 questions or class discussion, than is the teacher who has 

 received no training in research work. Reliable judg- 

 ment as to the soundness and reliabilit}' of methods to be 

 used is a necessity. The teacher must also be prepared 

 to defend the conclusions reached. Teachers of science 

 who have been dependent, all their lives, largely upon 

 the authority of the textbook for conclusions and upon the 

 laboratory manual for the methods of experimentation 

 are not well prepared to have the class ask questions not 

 discussed in either text or manual. Such science teach- 



