Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-09-15
Some Interesting Remarks on the
lnductive Method.
P DIN rs RITICIS ED


Prof. Scharf's report says:
THE public schools of Washington have
a high standard and rank among the best
in the country. Frequently in the course of
my visits to the schools 1 have had the
pleasure of meeting educators from other
parts Of the United States. who had come
here to observe and to learn. At the head
of the school system is Mr.. w. B. Powell,
who. through years of interchangeable in
drstry, has brought 1t to its present high
efficiency. Through him the inductive sys-
tenn was introduced: by him the entire
method of grammatical analysis was
changed; through him the old plan Of teach
ing spelling was abolished"
After describing the organization of the
school system and the duties of the various
officers and supervisors. DR.. Scharf con-
tinues:
The Inductive Method.
'"The inductive method of teaching is in
full force here. Its principal aim is to train
the pupils in Independent and original
thought. Accordingly, teachers rarely ex-
plain a doubtful point, but encourage the
pupils to look up the subject again. even if
the whole class has failed to answer the
question. This frequently causes the pu-
pills to grope in the dark, without any hope
Of seeing the light, and the teacher mis-
takes this cropping for thinking. 1t Is evil
dent that thinkers of this kind will turn
out TO be very poor knowers. The inductive
method. therefore. demands higher order
of teachers than the deductive method, be-
cause it requires a closer mental commu-
MON Of the teacher with the pupils
The introduction of inductive teaching
has met with only a partial success. The
branches of study in which it has proved
entirely successful are arithmetic, natural
science and grammatical analysis. In other
branches it has failed to produce good re-
suits. From my observations 1 should say
that those branches in which the reason
hoe S,,ita for
lnductiVe teaching. In others, however
Where example and memory are brought
into use. the deductive method Is, undoubt-
edly. preferable. This distinction Is not
made here as in Germany. 1 understand
that after two years of inductiye teaching
OF Latin in the high schools the results
had proven so palpably disastrous that the
deductlve method will hereafter be rentro-
duced.
1t speaks well for the broadness Of mind
of the authorities and their zeal for the
soou OF the schools that they rectified this
error SO promptly. 1t gives the assurance
that the value of both the inductiye and
deductive methods will eventually be rec
oSn1zed and judiciouS arrangement per-
fected for their use in the schools With
a conscientious and enthusiastic body of
teachers such as Washington possesses a
great deal can be accomplished Many of
these teachers had had no experience in in
ductlve teaching, but it can be said to their
credit that they sustained and promoted
the work of the superintendent by their
personal efforts and study
The report then gees into a more detail
ed analysis of the system under the mead
OF each study taught. In referring to
mathematics DR.. Scharf says:
"A curious feature is the introduction of
algebra in o9e semester of the eighth
grade. AS the work of this grade consists
largely of repetition and recapitula ton
Of the studies pursued in the lower grades.
1t seems strange that a new and difficult
study. of which only a partial knowledge
can be acquired. should be taught to pu-
pills. nine-tenths Of whom do not follow it
up in the higher schools
English and Grammar,
DR.. Scharf approves the method employ
ed in the teaching of English and gram
mar. and he proceeds:
Reading Is not practiced to the same
extent as in Germany. One of the teleo-
logical uses Of reading is the acquisition
of good vocabulary. and for that purpose
1T is practiced here. In this connection
must say that l was surprised to observe
an almost general neglect of etymology.
Even the course Of study does not lay
any stress upon it. Considering that the
English language is largely composed Of
words of Latin. Norman French and
Greek origin. the study of etymology would
appear to be Imperative. In giving an oral
reproduction in his own language of a
chapter read. the pupil has no difficulty in
creating the impression that he under
1
encountered strange words he has been
able to gather. through the context gen.
eral or approximate or occasionally an ac-
curate idea of their meaning But words
so acquired will never be used again by
him, because he does not possess a clear
synonymical knowledge of them, because
In other words, they have not become his
own. 1t Is matter of surprise that, in
an admirable educational system such as
Washington possesses. there should be
found even this flaw. Considering,
however. the great number of studies UNI
dertaken In the common schools. it is
wonder that. with the time allotted to
each. such good results have been secured
Teaching History.
After commencing the work done in the
geography classes DR.. Scharf writes thus
of the teaching Of history: "Some teach
ers prepare the history lesson in the class
room, others send the pupils home to let
them study 1t without preparation. From
conversations with over one hundred pu-
pills. have gathered that they unanimous
ly find history the hardest of all studies;
that one of the text books used in the
higher grades especially Is hard to under
stand. I did not discover the same uni
formity of teaching as did in arithmetic
and geography. While the results are fair,
it is evident that this study Is made bur-
den. rather than pleasure. to the pupils.
Only the history of the United States is
taught. The histories of the rest Of the
tirents are not taken up"
Drawing and Music.
The work done in the physics department
Is praised and DR.. Scharf then makes these
pleasant comments On another branch:
Drawing Is taught more thoroughly and
more deliberately here than in Germany
The course of study runs through the en-
tire eight school years. Judging from the
work of the pupils exhibited in the va
rious schools and from observation while
they were at work, / can say without
qualification, that there is more general
excellence in this branch than in any other
American children appear to be especially
gifted in this direction, and undoubtedly ex-
eel the Germans.
Music the report continues, sis taught
very thoroughly in all the grades Chill
dren In the first grade learn the six inter-
walls from do to la and sing them with re-
markable precision. The voices are good,
far better. indeed, than might be expected.
cor s.dering the nearness of Washington to
the sea. The results obtained in the high
err grades correspondingly good. In
the High School extracts from classic ora
torios are attempted and rendered very
creditably. The value Of music as ar i'm
portant factor in the plan of education il
appreciated here as fully as in Germany.
and If the results fall somewhat short. it Is
mere the fault of unmuscal teachers. not
of the system or the Dupils Jf tbo,o