Assumptions In Ninth-grade General Science

ASSUMPTIONS IN NINTH-GRADE GENERAL SCIENCE The d e t e r m i n a ti o n , a n a l y s i s and e v a l u a t i o n o f r e p r e s e n t a t i v e a s s u m p tio n s a s s o c i a t e d w ith a group of s e l e c t e d e x p e rim e n ta l e x e r c i s e s i n n i n t h - g r a d e g e n e r a l s c i e n c e a n d a s t u d y o f how t e a c h e r s make p r o v i s i o n f o r t h e s e a s s u m p t i o n s i n t h e i r t e a c h i n g . ELLSWORTH S . OBOURN S ubm itted i n p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t of the re q u ire m e n t f o r th e d e g re e of D octor of Philosophy In th e School of E d u catio n of New Y o r k U n i v e r s i t y ; Thesis accepted Hgff 1950 J u ly 2 0 , 1950 1 hereby guarantee t h a t no p a r t o f t h e d i s s e r t a t i o n or document which I have s u b m i t t e d f o r p u b l i c a t i o n has been heretofore published and ( o r ) c o p y r i g h t e d i n t h e United S ta te s of America, t h a t 1 am t h e s o l e a u t h o r and p r o p r i e t o r of s a i d - d i s s e r t a t i o n ; t h a t t h e d i s s e r t a t i o n c o n ta in s no matter which, i f p u b l i s h e d , w i l l b e l i b e l o u s o r otherwise in ju r io u s, or i n f r i n g e i n any way t h e c o p y r i g h t o f any other party; and t h a t I w i l l d e f e n d , in d e m n i fy and h o l d harmless New lor k U n i v e r s i t y a g a i n s t a l l s u i t s and pro­ ceedings which may be b r o u g h t a n d a g a i n s t a l l claims which may be made a g a i n s t New York U n i v e r s i t y by reason of the publication o f s a i d d i s s e r t a t i o n o r document. E l l s w o r t h S. Obourn PREFACE T h i s i n v e s t i g a t i o n i s t h e d i r e c t o u t g r o w t h o f more t h a n a q u a r t e r o f a c e n t u r y of e x p e r i e n c e i n t e a c h i n g s e c o n d a r y school sc ien c e. D u r i n g t h i s p e r i o d t h e r e h a s been a g r a d u a l b u t s t e a d y s h i f t of em phasis from s c ie n c e c o n t e n t t a u g h t as a n e n d i n i t s e l f t o s c i e n c e c o n t e n t t a u g h t a s a means t o t h e end o f more c o m p l e t e a d j u s t m e n t o f y o u n g p e o p l e t o t h e l i f e p r o b le m s of t h e i r environm ent. T h i s i s c u r r e n t l y d e s i g n a t e d a s an a g e of s c i e n c e b u t i t i s f a r f r o m an a g e i n w h ic h p e o p l e t h i n k s c i e n t i f i c a l l y . The h a b i t o f s t r a i g h t t h i n k i n g i s b u t u n d e v e l o p e d i n t h e \ l i v e s o f m o st p e o p l e . S c i e n c e t e a c h i n g i s i n somewhat o f a p r e f e r r e d p o s itio n a s a s u b je c t in th e school cu rricu lu m to do s o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h i s g e n e r a l l a c k i n m odern l i v i n g . It is t r u e t h a t th e proolem of t h i s s tu d y is only a s m a ll f a c e t of th e t o t a l problem of r e f l e c t i v e t h i n k i n g . it But i s n e c e s s a r i l y so b e c a u s e o n l y t h r o u g h i n t e n s i v e s t u d i e s o f s m a l l a s p e c t s o f t h e p r o b l e m may we hope e v e n t u a l l y t o know t h e t r u e n a t u r e o f t h e a b i l i t y a n d more a b o u t how t o t e a c h f o r i t in th e classroom . The m a t t e r of a s s u m p t i o n s seems t o be an i m p o r t a n t a s p e c t of p r o b l e m - s o l v i n g b e h a v i o r b e c a u s e o f t h e e x t e n t t o w h ic h t h e a v e r a g e la ym an a c c e p t s c o n c l u s i o n s w i t h o u t e x a m i n i n g t h e b a s e s upon w h i c h t h e y r e s t . The i n v e s t i g a t o r h a s l o n g b e e n c o n c e r n e d w i t h t h e t e a c h ­ in g o f