A study of mental fatigue in relation to the daily school program / [by] W. H. Heck.

  • Heck, W. H. (William Harry), 1879-1919.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A study of mental fatigue in relation to the daily school program / [by] W. H. Heck. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    adhered to; but with two groups a day in P. S. 27 and 83, and three groups in P. S. 3, two classes and three classes, re- spectively—one from each group—were tested in innnediate succession at each of the four periods of the school day. The classes of the second group followed the corresponding classes of the first group just as soon as I could get from the one classroom to the other and start the test with the later class. In P. S. 3 the classes of the third group followed those of the second group in a similar time relationship. With two or three groups to be tested, the fourth period was begun before 2.30 p. M. so that the work could be completed before the 3 :00 p. M. dismissal. The following time schedule is typical: Time Schedule—Public School 88—5B Classes. Group Class First Test Second Test Third Test Fourth Test Jan. 8 Jan. 15 Jan. 22 Jan. 29 1 5B1 9:12 11:06 1:04 2:24 2 5B2 9:341/2 11:221/2 1:20 2:39 1 5B3 11:04 1:041/2 2:23 9:111/2 2 5B4 11:231/2 1:20 2:381/2 9:261/2 1 5B5 1:081/2 2:25 9:051/2 11:041/2 2 5B6 1:29 2:41 9:22 11:22 1 5B7 2:231/2 9:081/2 11:05 1:081/2 2 5B8 2:441/2 9:26 11:21 1:25 It is evident that the time relationship of the classes of the first group to each other was almost the same as that of the classes of the second, or of the third, group to each other. The results for my purpose were not affected by thus testing the classes of one group after the corresponding classes of a preceding group, because each group constituted a unit by itself for my comparison of the four periods of the school day. In fact, the advantage of a wider representation of the morning and afternoon sessions was thereby gained. For instance, the tests with the first groups about 9 :10 a. m., which might possibly have come in a few classes before the children had settled down, were balanced in the total results by the tests with the second groups about 9 :27 a. m. However, a compari- son of the fatigue shown by these groups gives no preference to either time for the first period.