Scientific instruction : its aims and methods / by George Gore.

  • Gore, George, 1826-1909.
Date:
1871
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Scientific instruction : its aims and methods / by George Gore. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    from a love of the subject, the cause of scientific education would be greatly promoted. The teacher should have a higher dominant motive for labour than the pursuit of money. Mr. Faraday, speak- ing as a scientific man, said, “ I cannot afford to get rich.” * To make a trade of science, to make personal emolument the most important object, shows an ignorance of the very nature of science which is inexcusable in a teacher; science is essentially a pursuit of truth, not of money. By examining any University or public school calendar, it will be seen how very small a proportion of our teachers of science are men of scientific eminence.t The most perfect guarantees of efficiency in a teacher of science, are a thorough love and knowledge of his subject, with long expe- rience in teaching. The most infallible test of the first of these qualities is his pursuit of that portion of the subject which requires the greatest self-denial and skill, viz., original experimental research. Faraday, in his evidence before the Royal Commission, stated that the class of men suitable for teaching science “ hardly exist, at present.” J This statement still continues true; our old Universities have not yet supplied many schools with teachers eminent in physics or chemistry; but in response to the sudden public demand for some indefinitely understood scientific education, have sent forth teachers possessing but little experience in making experiments, much less acquaintance with the relations of science to manufactures, and almost entirely without experience in oris'inal experimental research. The ignorance of scientific method, and of some of the simplest practical matters in experiments, shown by some of these scholastic gentlemen, has been quite astonishing, and the most charitable sup- position is, that they are unaware of their ignorance. Habits of trustworthy and exact observation of physical and chemical phenomena, can only be imparted by prolonged series of lessons, freely illustrated by experiments, processes, apparatus, models, drawings, diagrams, and the use of the black-board. The lessons should be at regular and not too wide intervals. At each lesson the pupils should be examined viva voce on the subject of the preceding lessons, and periodical examinations by means of written papers should also be held. During the lessons, the pupils should accurately observe all the particular phenomena pointed out by the teacher, and take notes of all the chief Life of Faraday, vol. ii. p. 423. t Science Normal Schools, where specific degrees or certificates are procurable, form the grand desideratum. J Royal Commission on Public Schools, vol. iv. p. 376.