method of science in the middle of the century, The

School Science and Mathematics, Nov 2001 by Oliver, J Steve, Nichols, B Kim

Since a change in the conceptual structure must usually be initiated by a widening of experience, a fundamental step in science teaching is the presentation of facts which cannot be satisfactorily explained in terms of the student's past knowledge. Which facts shall be presented must be determined by (1) the nature of the scientific concepts which the teacher wishes to develop in the student mind, and (2) the clarity and correctness of corresponding or related concepts which the student already possesses. The mere presentation ofa host of irrelevant facts, although these may be logically organized themselves, is a fundamental error. As Dr. Goldforb [quoted from A.J. Goldforb, "Medical and Other Sciences," Science, January 24, 1930, vol LXXI, p. 79] remarked, "To substitute the accumulation of facts and laws or dexterity of manipulation for experimental methodology is naive, erroneous, antiscience, the cartoon of science."

Consequently, besides clear objectives, the teacher must also have a deep insight into the student mind. In other words, he must be able to imagine himself in the place of the student. Needless to say, this is a very difficult feat which is further complicated by the fact of individual differences. Its accomplishment clearly demands that the teacher become acquainted with his pupils as quickly and as thoroughly as possible. Careful questioning during class discussions and in the laboratory is, therefore, of paramount importance.

Once the teacher is familiar with his students' concepts the presentation of the right facts is a comparatively simple matter. This can be done by means of appropriate objective material, references as books, and demonstration experiments. In actual scientific research of course, these facts are always discovered in the course of lengthy experimental analyses. But since the object of science teaching is not so much to develop expert laboratory technicians as it is to change concepts and since fact finding is a laborious and time-consuming process, most of the relevant facts are better presented directly and perhaps also more dramatically. (p. 397-398)

Though he might overuse the word facts and though we would not agree with all the aspects of his typology, we can clearly see the roots of much of what was to come in science curriculum.

In the sixth issue of 1948, another article appeared examining the topic of teaching to accomplish the scientific method. This time the article focused on junior high school and was written by H. G. McMullen of Highland Park, Illinois.

McMullen was more of an optimist about the state of post-WWII science teaching. For instance, he was convinced that all science teachers were already doing all that was in their power to accomplish the goals of teaching the scientific method.

I doubt that any science teacher would omit from his list of objectives those that deal with the teaching of scientific methods and attitudes. Neither would he neglect teaching these methods, nor attempting to develop these attitudes in his science teaching. (p. 459)