Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

 

An integrated physics-chemistry course in a liberal arts college Public Deposited

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  • Purpose of the Study In most liberal arts colleges, the majority of students enrolled are primarily interested in a liberal education. To meet the requirements of its students, several colleges have introduced a relatively new program in the sciences; this program is the integrated science course. This study attempts to evaluate an integrated physics-chemistry course in a liberal arts college. Procedure Four liberal arts colleges, ranging in size from 700 to 1000 students, were chosen to furnish the population groups for this study. The control group, 94 students, consisted of students enrolled in a course in general chemistry in three liberal arts colleges. The experimental group, 83 students, consisted of students enrolled in an integrated course in physics and chemistry in Tarkio College. Following one academic year of instruction, the population groups were administered two tests. The tests used were: Watson- Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (CTA), Form Ym, and 2) American Chemical Society (ACS) Cooperative Examination in General Chemistry, Form 1965. The ACS test was divided into sub-tests in order to get a more accurate measure of the achievement in chemistry. The area of chemistry was chosen as the course content to be measured, largely owing to the availability of an adequate test to measure chemistry achievements. data: Findings The following conclusions were drawn from the analysis of the 1. The control group (chemistry students) was superior in its knowledge of chemistry as compared with the experimental group (integrated physics-chemistry students). This superiority was exhibited by higher scores on the ACS test and the sub-tests of the ACS test. 2. The control group was superior to the experimental group in the area of critical-thinking as exhibited by the CTA test. 3. The integrated physics-chemistry course of two-semester duration did not adequately prepare the students for the test used in the area of chemistry. The basis for this finding was the comparison of the integrated group to the chemistry group. 4. To adequately evaluate the integrated physics-chemistry program, the program should be of two years duration, and student achievement should be compared with that of students who have completed one year each of college chemistry and physics. Recommendations As a result of this study, the following recommendations were made: 1. The integrated course should be studied on the basis of two, three and four terms in length. 2. A study should be made that would compare the integrated course with both physics and chemistry courses. 3. A study should be made of the student in a physicschemistry course subsequent to his completion of the integrated program to determine whether the integrated course adequately prepares the student for advanced work. 4. A study should be made of different techniques of teaching the integrated course.
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