290 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 295. 



dated with the self-injecting result of the 

 humanities, even though science alone be 

 studied ; and the power of appreciation de- 

 veloped by the humanities must always be 

 tempered by the scientific spirit. And yet, 

 the two processes and the two results are so 

 distinct and so complementary that any 

 scheme of education which does not provide 

 for the definite cultivation of these two 

 mental attitudes, and which leaves the com- 

 plementary part merely to the chances of 

 methods of teaching and mental structure, 

 is in constant danger of resulting in mental 

 distortion. 



I have indicated in this verj' general way 

 the broad principles involved in the mission 

 of science in education . Numerous details 

 might be presented which would justify the 

 claims that have been made, and perhaps 

 such details would have made my thesis 

 more clear, and would have left me in less 

 danger of being misunderstood ; but neither 

 the time nor the occasion will permit them. 



There is a factor of such overwhelming 

 importance in the effectiveness of the mis- 

 sion of science in education that I cannot 

 forbear the mention of it, and that is the 

 teacher. I have presented the possible, the 

 ideal results, but they can be approximated 

 only by the thoroughly competent teacher. 

 The problem of the teaching of science in 

 the universities is becoming a serious one. 

 There is no need to include in this discus- 

 sion the teaching of science in the schools, 

 for those engaged in it are devoting their 

 whole time and knowledge to its develop- 

 ment. It is sadly true that as a rule they 

 need more time and far more knowledge, 

 but this need is being gradually met, and 

 every year the teaching in the schools is 

 becoming better. On the contrary, I am 

 tempted to say that every year the teaching 

 of science in the universities is becoming 

 worse . Perh aps the statement is too strong, 

 but it expresses a tendencj', that must be 

 checked. The university instructor is con- 



fronted by two serious duties ; he is to in- 

 struct, and he is to produce. In the consti- 

 tution of American universities the primary 

 function of the instructor is to instruct; and, 

 if time and strength permit, the secondary 

 function is to produce. From the theoret- 

 ical standpoint production is essential to a 

 thoroughly good university instructor, for 

 production makes all the difference between 

 a pump and a perennial spring. There is 

 no special inspiration in the continual re- 

 tailing of second-hand information. Prac- 

 tically, however, the conscientious teacher 

 must expend all his energy, or at least 

 all his effective energy upon teaching and 

 facultj' duties. The logical outcome is that 

 teachers who wish to investigate cease to be 

 conscientious as teachers. Production be- 

 comes the principal thing, and instruction 

 a mere incident. It might be expected that 

 these unconscientious teachers would be 

 gradually eliminated, but there are two facts 

 which not onlj^ prevent the elimination but 

 increase the evil. The first is that in large 

 universities the tenure of office is practically 

 unlimited, and if the instructor is making a 

 name through production his tenure of office 

 is not likely to be terminated, however bad 

 his teaching. The second fact is that in 

 the appointment of new instructors the uni- 

 versities to-day are looking more for produc- 

 tive power than for teaching power. This 

 latter fact reacts seriously upon those who 

 are preparing for university positions, and 

 their whole training is upon problems con- 

 nected with their subject, to the entire ex- 

 clusion of those connected with its presen- 

 tation. In short, my claim is that in the 

 universities our instructors have been 

 trained to investigate rather than to teach. 

 I have never met such wretched teaching 

 anywhere as is daily permitted in the great- 

 est universities. Under such conditions the 

 instructor for a few years makes a spasmodic 

 effort to teach, presently loses his interest 

 in it, and gradually lapses into indifference. 



