SCIENCE TEACHING IN ADULT EDUCATION 337 
who are interested in adult education, and if they, as frequently happens, 
have a purely literary outlook, science classes will not be chosen... . 
The logical and experimental technique of science is now so specialised 
that ordinary men and women tend to accept it as beyond their comprehen- 
sion, and are discouraged by the circumstance that the point at which they 
must begin their studies appears very remote from the results which arouse 
their interest. . . . The reason for the comparative lack of development 
of science studies in science classes in the country generally is, I think, 
primarily the failure of those responsible to put the case to prospective 
students. In spite of the tradition that the adult education movement exists 
to satisfy the spontaneous demands of students themselves, groups are very 
anxious to have suggestions made to them, and are apt to be influenced by 
those suggestions. Since the organisers themselves are frequently interested 
in economic and social problems, that tends to create a bias in favour of 
those subjects. There are, however, difficulties connected with the teaching 
of science which do not affect other subjects ; and that also must be regarded 
as a reason for the backwardness of this side of the work. (Prof. R. Peers, 
Nottingham U.C.) 
A report on the position of science teaching in Adult Classes in the 
United States of America shows a somewhat similar attitude on the part of 
the general citizen. ‘The Secretary of the American Association for Adult 
Education writes : 
“I do not feel that the evidence is at hand to support the belief that there 
is an actual indifference to natural science subjects on the part of American 
adults. As a matter of fact, such evidence as exists points in the other 
direction, for our science lectures, where offered, are usually extraordinarily 
well attended and the interest expressed is keen. I feel quite sure that the 
relatively unimportant place held by science subjects in the adult education 
offerings in this country is attributable first, to lack of adequate financial 
support; second, to the lack of availability of qualified teachers at the 
secondary level ; and third, to the lack of interest in adult teaching on the 
part of qualified teachers of science at the collegiate level. In the past the 
attitude of the research staffs of our universities and scientific institutions 
—the Carnegie Institution of Washington would be a notable exception— 
has been to avoid adult teaching of scientific subjects wherever possible on 
the ground that such “‘ popularization ”’ of necessity involved vulgarization 
and consequent loss of dignity to the research profession.’ 
3. Conditions adversely affecting the Adoption of Science Subjects. 
The poor response to science courses is probably due to many 
conflicting causes. The chief of those adversely affecting the growth of 
science teaching in Adult Education may be stated under the following 
headings, but it must be realised that they are intimately linked in their 
effect, and form a very complex problem for organisers. 
(a) The apparent remoteness of the exact sciences from every-day 
experiences, and the lack of mathematical training in many who are 
interested. 
(6) The general absence of any real knowledge of science in the average 
adult, who therefore does not manifest much keenness about 
attending u class owing to a tendency to regard science as a study for 
* clever ’ people only. 
(c) The difficulties of providing adequate accommodation and equipment, 
even for ordinary demonstration experiments by lecturers or tutors ; 
still more for any practical work by the student. 
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