Date of Award
1958
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Dr. William I. Bray
Abstract
This investigation is an analysis of the credits in science courses as shown from a study of 2,100 transcripts of high school graduates who have entered the Kansas State Teachers College at Pittsburg, as well as a study of related findings elsewhere compiled from reports of investigators who used other methods of approaching the problem.
Of the transcripts studied, representing the twenty-one year period, 60.2 percent showed credit in biology, 0.3 percent in zoology, 0.8 percent in botany, 15.4 percent in physiology, 5.9 percent in hygiene, 13.5 percent in agriculture, 34.6 percent in chemistry, 21.5 percent in physics, 74.6 percent in general science, 30.8 percent in general mathematics, 115.0 percent in algebra, 72 percent in geometry, 10 percent in trigonometry, and 3.7 percent in arithmetic. The average credit in each subject for each student represented was, for biology, 1.24, zoology .007, botany .01, physiology .17, hygiene .09, agriculture .26, chemistry .68, physics .42, general science 1.48, general mathematics .60, algebra 2.21, geometry 1.33, trigonometry .11, and arithmetic .04.
With respect to the individual courses, it was found that zoology and botany have almost completely disappeared from the curriculum and biology has become more popular. Physiology and hygiene are being combined to form one course, and agriculture has been changed in the majority of the schools to vocational agriculture.
General science has also become an established course similar to biology. It is offered at present on the junior high level as an introductory science course incorporating biology, chemistry, physics, and astronomy. Both increased very rapidly and at present, over sixty percent of the students have completed courses in each of these subjects.
The physical sciences are constant, with physics slightly more than half as popular as chemistry.
During the twenty-one year period under consideration, more students were enrolled in algebra than were enrolled in any other subject considered in this investigation. Part of this stems from the fact that algebra was a "required course" and it offered credit for more than one year. Geometry followed the same basic trend as algebra, whereas general mathematics and trigonometry were shown to be electives offered mostly in the second semester. Arithmetic at present has moved into the grade school level and is seldom found still in the high school level, unless the school has a 6--6 plan.
The number of transcripts showing average credit in one or more science courses varied exceptionally throughout the entire study; the highest 2.29 in 1949-1951 for algebra, to the lowest 0.0 credit in 1940-1942 to 8.35 in 1955-1957 clearly indicates that there has been a gradual decrease in the total amount of credit in the sciences per student.
As nearly as can be determined from available data obtained by other methods, a comparison of our findings with those of other investigators, seem to show the same general trend.
Recommended Citation
Thompson, Adell Jr, "An Analysis of the Credits for the Science Courses of High School Graduates Who Have Entered the Kansas State Teachers College, Pittsburg" (1958). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 487.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/etd/487
Comments
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