SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXII. No. 809 



quirements that high schools must meet, 

 although he has never seen the inside of a 

 high school since he himself graduated. 

 Yet he would legislate on the basis of 

 vague impressions retained from his own 

 school days and other vague impressions 

 he has received from others. A very sim- 

 ilar condition prevails with the two sec- 

 tions. Section B criticizes any new sug- 

 gestion in physical science very search- 

 ingly, submits it to rigorous, unbiased 

 tests and insists on satisfactory verifica- 

 tion. Section L does the same in the field 

 of education, but takes its physics largely 

 on faith and with little attempt at criti- 

 cism or verification. Section B treats 

 suggestions in education as Section L does 

 those in physics; but with this difference 

 — L does not presume to dogmatize about 

 physical science. 



This fundamental difference in the atti- 

 tudes of the two sections leads to a radical 

 difference in their respective attitudes 

 toward physics teaching. This difference 

 was pointed out most lucidly by Professor 

 Dewey in his vice-presidential address on 

 "Science as Method and as Information." 

 This difference is not sharply defined in 

 that all members of B do not regard the 

 imparting of information as the sole end 

 of science instruction any more than all 

 the members of L regard the acquirement 

 of the scientific method of thinking as the 

 sole aim of teaching. There is, however, 

 a marked difference in the ways in which 

 the two sections place the emphasis. For 

 B, information is paramount and method 

 of thinking subordinate; for L, the re- 

 verse is true. 



From this prime difference between the 

 two sections follow a niunber of subsidiary 

 differences. These may be paired off in 

 couples in some such way as that given 

 below. It is, of course, not possible that 

 the characteristics of the members of a 



pair be intrinsically and mutually ex- 

 elusive. Nor is it claimed that Section B 

 stands wholly and solely for the first set, 

 and Section L wholly and solely for the 

 second. It is again a matter of emphasis. 

 Section B as a whole strongly emphasizes 

 the elements in the first set; while L, in 

 like manner, strongly emphasizes those in 

 the second. 



B L 



1. Logical arrangement 



of concepts. 



2. Analytical reasoning 



with abstract ideas. 



3. Forestalling possible 



future needs of 

 physicists. 



4. Power to pass pos- 



sible examinations. 



5. Learning laws intel- 



lectually. 



6. Verbal statements of 



principles. 



7. Intellectual attain- 



ment. 



8. Satisfaction of col- 



lege requirements 

 for few. 



9. Mental discipline. 



10. Logical rigor. 



Intuitive development 

 of concepts. 



Good judgment in 

 concrete cases. 



Meeting actual pres- 

 ent needs of stu- 

 dents. 



Power to act intelli- 

 gently in actual 

 situations. 



Power to solve prob- 

 lems scientifically. 



Weighing of evidence. 



Social efficiency. 



Service to community 

 for all. 



Enthusiasm and mo- 

 tive. 



Useful approxima- 

 tion. 



Up to the present time the first set of 

 characteristics have been dominant in 

 physics teaching. It is for this reason that 

 this teaching has not been satisfactory. 

 The present problem is, not to make the 

 other set as overbearing as the first has been, 

 but to get a just balance between them. It 

 is not that logical arrangement should be 

 banished and intuitive development sub- 

 stituted; but that intuitive develop- 

 ment should precede and lead up eventu- 

 ally to logical order. It is not that social 

 efficiency precludes intellectual attainment ^ 

 but that social efficiency should precede- 



