Training to reason : an investigation into the possibility of training in seeing relations of evidence / by Marjorie Hill.

  • Allee, Marjorie Hill, 1890-1945.
Date:
1936
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Training to reason : an investigation into the possibility of training in seeing relations of evidence / by Marjorie Hill. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/76 (page 15)
    THE PRELIMINARY TESTING THE tests having been made the next step was to administer them to the selected classes. As has been mentioned, it was decided to conduct the investiga¬ tion with children drawn from standards IV and V.1 Five schools were chosen and, with the permission of the headmasters, the children of standards IV and V of these schools participated in the experiment. The numbers in each class were approximately 55, so that the group drawn from each school comprised about 110 children. For the purposes of the experiment, however, it was necessary to have groups of equal intelligence. To equate the groups for this factor Spearman’s ‘Measure of Intelligence’ was administered to all the children concerned and comparable groups selected from the resulting scores. In each case the test was administered by the experimenter at the same time of day. The conditions for the reasoning tests were also carefully arranged. At 9.15 a.m. on Monday Test 1 was given to all classes. At 9.15 on Tuesday Test 2 was given to all classes. Similarly Tests 3 and 4 were given on Wednesday and Thursday. As these were not oral tests there was not the same necessity for having the same examiner throughout as was the case with the intelligence test. However, in order that they should be given under comparable test conditions with no possibility of inter¬ ference or suggestions (however well intentioned) from class teachers, the administering of the tests was carried out by students taking the Diploma in Education at the University.2 These supervisors were instructed to see that the cover sheets of the tests were properly filled in, that all testees started work together, that they were stopped at the end of forty-five minutes, that the tests were all collected and returned to the investigator and that there was no collaboration or interference. Furthermore, no copies of the tests were left in the schools and the class teachers were asked not to discuss the tests with the children in view of the fact that such discussion might affect the final testing. 1. The average ages for these classes would be 10 and 11 respectively. 2. I am glad to acknowledge the very real assistance offered by these students.