Improving the blackboard / by W. Douglas Seymour.

  • Seymour, W. Douglas.
Date:
1938
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Improving the blackboard / by W. Douglas Seymour. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    A little more than six years ago, the National Institute of In¬ dustrial Psychology began a series of studies on the working conditions in schools, at the request of various bodies interested. For many years previously the Institute had been investigating conditions in factories and offices with a view to improving the health and well¬ being of the human factor in industry; and it seemed fairly certain that the experience thus gained and the technique thus acquired would be helpful in the improvement of new school buildings, which the movements of population and other causes were making necessary throughout the country. The first part of this work on schools consisted of a careful examina¬ tion of the types of building already in existence and of the conditions which were found in them. Old-fashioned country schools, schools of the central hall type, open-air and semi-open-air schools were examined from the point of view of their general suitability. The investigations included a survey of sickness absences in various types of school and a study of the general standards of heating, ventilation and lighting attained. A brief summary of some of the results of this part of the work has already been published.1 The next—and probably most valuable— part of the work consisted of the determination by empirical means of the most suitable environmental conditions for children and teachers in school. At the same time, complementary studies were made to ascertain the methods of obtaining the most suitable conditions. These parts of the work are still being continued. In addition to the considerations of heating, lighting and ventilation, it seemed advisable to give attention to certain essential pieces of school equipment. The first of these to be studied was the blackboard, and the present report contains an account of the work on this subject. In view of the rather striking results obtained, the Institute decided to publish them in a separate report, as the matter seemed of special interest to Local Authorities and to all educationists. A brief account of the experimental work has already appeared in the British Journal of Educational Psychology. The Institute is indebted to the editor, Professor C. W. Valentine, for kind permission to republish it with added details. 1 School Buildings, by John Sargent and A. H. Seymour, published by the National Union of Teachers, 1932.