Factors Controlling Attendance in Rural Schools

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 Excerpt: ...any effort to get the samples equal in numbers, but care was taken to draw a straight line through the distribution including within the sample all that were cut off by the line. The two samples were then tabulated according to a wide range of possible factors. The facts that showed no connection with attendance were discarded, and those with a significant relation to attendance were selected for further study. For example, Table 1, reproduced below, shows how the two groups of pupils were distributed according to the handwriting of the teachers in three counties. The teacher with the superior handwriting seems to have a very slight, if any, advantage over the teacher with inferior handwriting in the distribution of the two groups of children. In county number 2, more of the best-attending (G) pupils and fewer of the poorest-attending (P) pupils, are under the teachers with superior handwriting. There is, however, no difference in the other two counties. A factor that has a fixed and significant relation to attendance should show a more constant tendency. TABLE 1 Showing The Distribution Of Both Attendance Groups According To The Handwriting Of The Teacher Handwriting Of Teacher Superior Average Inferior Total CY 1 G 52 105 32 189 P 56 98 34 188 CY 2 G 58 99 46 203 P 43 92 67 202 CY 5 G 32 92 43 167 P 33 98 45 176 Total G 142 296 121 559 P 132 288 146 566 Table 2, on the following page, shows the quality of work of the two groups of pupils. It is clear that attendance and quality of work are closely related. In the light of the facts of Table 1 the teacher's handwriting was discarded as a factor in attendance, and in view of the facts of Table 2 the relation of quality of work to attendance was selected for further study. The Analysis Of Significant Factors...