THE UNIVERSITY
OF ILLINOIS
LIBRARY
370 I£6e
v.12-84
Q.2.1
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS BULLETIN
Issued Weekly Vol. XXI September 17, 1923 No. 3
[Entered as second-class matter December 1 1, 1012, at the post office at Urbana, Illinois, under the Act of August 24, 1912. Acceptance for mailing at the special rate of postage provided for in section 1 103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized July 31, 1918.]
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH CIRCULAR NO. 21
BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BUREAU
OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
FOR 1923-24
By Walter S. Monroe
Director, Bureau of Educational Research
PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA
370 U6e
Announcement of the Bureau of Educational Research
for 1923-24
Resume of activities during the school year 1922-23. In
September, 1922, the Bureau of Educational Research inaugurated the publication of a series of educational research circulars. A begin- ning had been made during the previous year by issuing eleven mimeo- graphed statements relating to educational topics. The circulars for the past school year have been more pretentious than these earlier statements, have been issued in printed form, and as the titles listed below indicate, have treated various subjects. It is our intention to use them for non-technical discussions of topics of current interest. Some issues will be devoted to summarizing and interpreting re- search. Others will merely make available in a convenient form information for which there appears to be a need.
In addition to the educational research circulars the Bureau has published a number of bulletins giving an account of the research work which has been carried on by members of its staff. Altho some of these bulletins may appear to have less immediate practical value than certain of the circulars, they represent fundamental research. Such work is necessary in the development of the science of educa- tion.
The list of publications issued during the school year of 1922- 23 follows:
Educational Research Circulars
No. 12. Monroe, Walter S. Announcements of the Bureau of Educa- tional Research for 1922-23.
No. 13. Monroe, Walter S. Definitions of the Terminology of Ed- ucational Measurements.
No. 14. Streitz, Ruth. Gifted Children and Provisions for Them in Our Schools.
No. 15. Monroe, Walter S. Educational Tests for Use in Elementary
Schools. No. 16. Odell, Charles W. The Effect of Attendance Upon School
Achievement.
No. 17. Mohlman, Dora Keen. The Elementary School Principal- ship.
No. 18. Monroe, Walter S. Educational Tests for Use in High
Schools. No. 19. Streitz, Ruth. Provisions for Exceptional Children in 191
Illinois Cities. No. 20. McClusky, Frederick Dean. Place of Moving Pictures in
Visual Education.
Educational Research Bulletins
No. 9. Monroe, Walter S. Written Examinations and Their Im- provement.
No. 10. Bureau of Educational Research. Relation of Size of Class to School Efficiency.
No. 11. Monroe, Walter S. Relation of Sectioning a Class to the Effectiveness of Instruction.
No. 12. Odell, Charles W. The Use of Intelligence Tests as a Basis of School Organization and Instruction.
No. 13. Monroe, Walter S., and Foster, I. 0. The Status of the So- cial Sciences in the High Schools of the North Central Association.
No. 14. Monroe, Walter S., and Carter, Ralph E. The Use of Dif- ferent Types of Thought Questions in Secondary Schools and Their Relative Difficulty for Students.
During the past two years an effort has been made to bring members of the staff of the Bureau of Educational Research into more intimate contact with the public schools of the state. This phase of our activities is materially increasing. Miss Ruth Streitz has vis- ited a total of twenty-two school systems during the past year in connection with our study of the "teachers' difficulties and their remedies." In most cases she has spent an entire day observing the work of the teachers and conferring with them in regard to the diffi- culties which they were encountering and the teaching devices which they were finding successful. Frequently Miss Streitz has been in- vited to address groups of teachers.
Forthcoming bulletins. The research work of one year natur- ally provides the bulletins published during the next. The following
bulletins are nearing completion and will be published early in the
present school year.
Odell, C. W. The Progress and Elimination of School Children in
Illinois.
(This investigation is the result of a study of the individual records of ap- proximately 70,000 Illinois school children.)
Monroe, Walter S., and Souders, L. B. The Present Status of Writ- ten Examinations.
Mohlman, Dora Keen. An Investigation of the Study Habits of High School Children.
Streitz, Ruth. Teachers' Difficulties and Their Remedies.
(This bulletin will be confined to arithmetic and reading.) Monroe, Walter S. The Constant and Variable Errors in Educational
Measurements. Monroe, Walter S. Experimentation as a Method of Educational
Research.
Forthcoming educational research circulars. It is not possi- ble at this time to make a definite announcement concerning very many of the educational research circulars which will be issued. In the past the topics frequently have been suggested by communica- tions received during the year. The preparation of the following cir- culars has, however, progressed to the point where their publication may be announced. Odell, Charles W. Provisions for the Individual Differences of High
School Pupils. Monroe, Walter S. Educational Guidance. Streitz, Ruth. Educational Diagnosis.
Projects proposed for 1923-24. Our plans for the coming school year are included in the following projects. As the work de- velops, these projects may be modified in any way that seems wise or additional projects undertaken. However, this announcement will serve to acquaint the people of the state with our proposed activities.
Project 1. Collection of difficulties encountered in teaching and methods of overcoming these difficulties. This is a continu- ation of a project of last year. So far our attention has been confined mostly to reading and arithmetic. We hope to extend it to other subjects. In connection with this study a number of school systems
will be visited by Miss Streitz and probably by other members of the Bureau staff. The director of the Bureau will welcome communica- tions from those who encounter difficulties in teaching any elementary school subject or who are using devices which seem to be effective in overcoming difficulties.
Project 2. Investigation of the study habits of high school pupils. This investigation was initiated two years ago but it seems wise to continue it for another year. The precise problem which will be undertaken has not been determined. The Director of the Bureau of Educational Research will be glad to hear from any superintendent or principal who is interested in cooperating with him in continuing this investigation.
Project 3. School surveys. A year ago we announced as one of our projects the preparation of specifications for self surveys. As this work developed it seems wise to concentrate our attention on one particular phase of a survey, namely, the progress and elimina- tion of pupils. Therefore, an investigation was conducted in which a considerable number of school systems cooperated. The results of this investigation will be published shortly in bulletin form. Specifi- cations for self surveys will be continued.
A few superintendents have indicated a desire to have the Bureau of Educational Research direct a survey of their school sys- tem. If plans can be formulated which are mutually satisfactory the Bureau hopes to undertake the direction of a limited number of sur- veys during the coming year. The Director of the Bureau will be glad to hear from any superintendents who are interested in this type of service.
Project 4. Educational and vocational guidance of high school students. During the coming year we shall initiate an inves- tigation relating to the educational and vocational guidance of high school students, and shall wish to secure the cooperation of as many high schools in the state as possible. A detailed announcement of our plans will be sent out at an early date.
Services to school systems of the state. Altho the primary function of the Bureau of Educational Research is to conduct inves- tigations and bring them to the attention of the school people of the
state, we hope also to render more immediate and direct services. Attention has already been called to the visits to schools. The Direc- tor will be glad to hear from superintendents and principals who would welcome visits from members of the Bureau staff. He is par- ticularly anxious to get in touch with those schools, both elementary and secondary, which are doing unusual things or which are doing ordinary things unusually well. When a visit to a school system is directly connected with some research problem of the Bureau of Ed- ucational Research the school will not be asked to defray any of the expenses of such a visitation.
Miss Ruth Streitz, an Associate in the Bureau of Educational Research, has had experience in dealing with exceptional children. She will answer any letters and, when her other duties permit, will visit schools where an attempt is being made to give special assist- ance to exceptional children.
Distribution of publications. This year we have materially enlarged our mailing list for the distribution of both educational re- search circulars and the research bulletins. All who receive this an- nouncement are included in the list. As our publications are miscel- laneous in character and as all of them are not of interest to all per- sons, we have classified our mailing list on the basis of the probable interest of the persons included. Each bulletin or circular will be mailed to all the groups who in our judgment will be interested in the publication. In case one does not receive a bulletin or circular which he desires, a copy will be mailed upon request.
We shall be glad to add to our mailing list any teachers, elemen- tary school principals, or other persons who would like to receive some or all of our educational research circulars. In particular, we shall welcome the names of the presidents or other members of boards of education in Illinois. A number of extra copies of each educational research circular and bulletin are printed and these will be furnished to superintendents and principals who wish to secure additional copies for distribution among their teachers. During the past year requests have frequently come from superintendents and principals who wished to make a circular the basis of one or more of their teachers' meetings. There will be no charge to principals and super- intendents of Illinois for additional copies of any of our publications, or to other residents for single copies.
CIRCULARS OF THE BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, UNI- VERSITY OF ILLINOIS, URBANA, ILLINOIS
No. 12. Monroe, Walter S. Announcements of the Bureau of Educa- tional Research for 1922-23.
No. 13. Monroe, Walter S. Definitions of the Terminology of Edu- cational Measurements.
No. 14. Streitz, Ruth. Gifted Children and Provisions for Them in Our Schools.
No. 15. Monroe, Walter S. Educational Tests for Use in Elementary Schools.
No. 16. Odell, Charles W. The Effect of Attendance Upon School Achievement.
No. 17. Mohlman, Dora Keen. The Elementary School Principal- ship.
No. 18. Monroe, Walter S. Educational Tests for Use in High Schools.
No. 19. Streitz, Ruth. Provisions for Exceptional Children in 191 Illinois Cities.
No. 20. McClusky, Frederick Dean. Place of Moving Pictures in Visual Education.
No. 21. Monroe, Walter S. Announcement of the Bureau of Educa- tional Research for 1923-24.
A limited number of copies of these educational circulars are available for free distribution to superintendents and teachers in Illinois. We shall be glad to add to our mailing list for these circulars the names of any teachers or superintendents who care to receive them regularly. We shall be glad also to send additional copies of any circular to superintendents or principals for distribution among their teachers. Ad- dress all communications to the Bureau of Educational Research, University of Illinois.
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