SAFETY EDUCATION IN THE TEACHER COLLEGES OF WEST VIRGINIA

292 Pages·013.676 MB·English

by  BURGHARDT, WILLIAM FRANKLIN

The student hereby guarantees that no p-^rt of the dissertation
or document which he has submitted for publication has been here­
tofore published and(or) copyrighted in the United States of America,
except in the case of passages quoted from other published sourcesj
that he is the sole author arid proprietor of said dissertation or
documentj that the dissertation or document contains no matter which,
if published, w ill be libelous or otherwise injurious, or infringe
in any way the copyright of any other party; and that he will defend,
indemnify and hold harmless New York University against all suits
and proceedings which may be brought and against all claims which
may be made against New York University by reason of the publication
of said dissertation or document.
William F. Bun^hardt
Sponsoring Committee: Dr. Jay B. Nash, Chairman
Dr. Arthur D. Whitman, Dr. Leonard A. Larson
Dr. Herbert J . Stack, Consultant
SAFETY EDUCATION IN THE TEACHER COLLEGES
OF
WEST VIRGINIA
WILLIAM FRANKLIN BURGHARDT
Submitted in p a rtia l fu lfillm en t of the
requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Education in the School of Education of
New York U niversity
1949
1? ^
Final Doctraent
DEC 13 1350
Accepted, ------------
- ii -
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The study was made possible through the professional interest
and cooperation of many persons* The author wishes to express
h is ap p reciatio n to h is co-workers and members of the student
body a t West V irginia S tate College who took active part in the
study*
S pecial thanks are due to Dr. Jay B* Nash, Chairman of the spon­
soring committee; professors Leonard A* Larson and Arthur D* Whitman,
members; and to Dr. H erbert J. Stack, special consultant; for en­
couragement, a id , and guidance.
G ratitude is f e lt fo r the splendid cooperation given by various
members of the follow ing state departments of education: Illinois,
New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The same is true for
the o ffic e rs of many agencies—both State and National—who sup­
plied inform ation and m aterial. More specifically does the above
apply to those who served on the jury.
F in ally , the author is particularly appreciative of continuous
assista n ce , guidance and advice given by Dr. Charles C. Hawkins.
He is most g rate fu l to Laura and Roscoe Brown for untiring efforts,
valuable c ritic ism and suggestions. Special thanks are due to
T. C. Gregory and those who contributed their services as typists
and proofreaders.
W. F. B.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................... . i i
LIST OF TABLES.
LIST OF FIGURES vi
Chapter Page
I INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... 1
Prelim inary Statem ent. ............................ 1
Purpose. • • • • ....................• • • • .......................
3
Statement of Problem • • • • • • • • ................... 3
Scope of the Study ..................................... 4
Basic Assumptions. . . . ............................................... 6
Significance of the Problem.......................................... 7
II HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ................................................................. 13
Teacher Preparation for Safety Education • • • 14
Safety Education in the Public Schools • • • • 35
Safety in Specific Areas and Related M aterials 54
III PROCEDURE .............................................................................................. 61
The Determ ination of the Accident Situation
in West V irginia As Compared to The National
S itu atio n . • • • • • • • • ..................................... • 61
The Determ ination of the Existing Status of
In stru ctio n fo r Safety and Accident Prevention
in West V irginia as Compared to Current
P ractices, D irected Toward Leadership Training
and Teacher Preparation, of Certain Selected
S tates • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 69
The Formulation of an Educational Pattern that
Can be U tilized by the State in the Further
Reduction of A ccidental In ju ries and Loss of
L ife, Property Damage and D estruction. . . . . 77
The Formulation of a Curriculum in Safety and
Accident Prevention for Use in Teacher-Educa­
tion Colleges of West V irginia . . . ................... 79
IV NATIONAL ACCIDENT PATTERN ........................................................ 82
Total Accidents. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 82
Accident Areas • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 84
V THE DETERMINATION OF TEE ACCIDENT SITUATION IN WEST
VIRGINIA AS COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL SITUATION. . • 113
Total. • • • • • • • • • ............................................... 113
Accident Areas • • » • • • • • • • • • • • • • 115
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Page
VI THE EXISTING STATUS OF INSTRUCTION FOR SAFETY
AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION IN WEST VIRGINIA....................... 138
Public and Private Agencies..............................• . . 138
The Department of Education. . ...........................140
Safety in the Public Schools ofW est Virginia. 152
Teacher-Preparation Programs in West Virginia
C o lle g e s................................................... 162
VII CURRENT PRACTICES DIRECTED TOWARD LEADERSHIP
TRAINING AND TEACHER PREPARATION FOR SAFETY
EDUCATION IN SELECTED STATES...................................................173
Safety Education Programs of Selected States • 173
Courses of Study in the Colleges of Selected
S t a t e s .....................................................................................176
Comparison of the West Virginia Safety Educa­
tio n Program With Those of Selected States • • 182
A ppraisal of the West Virginia Program . . . . 186
V III THE FORMULATION OF AN EDUCATIONAL PATTERN THAT
CAN BE UTILIZED BY THE STATE IN THE FURTHER
REDUCTION OF ACCIDENTAL INJURY AND LOSS OF LIFE,
PROPERTY DAMAGE AND DESTRUCTION.....................................191
Educational Administration in West Virginia. • 191
S tate Control of Education Elsewhere • • • • • 204
Proposed Plan for West Virginia............................208
Legal and/or Statutory Background. 216
IX SAFETY CURRICULUM FOR WEST VIRGINIA COLLEGES. . . . 219
H ealth, Physical Education and Safety...............222
Department . ................................................................
Safety Education Curriculum.....................................223
X SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................237
Summary. 237
Recommendations. . . • • • • • • • * • • » • • 249
BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................254
APPENDIX................................................................................. 262
LIST OP TABLES
Table T itle Page
I COMPARISON OF WAR AND ACCIDENT CASUALTIES IN
WORLD WAR I I ..............................................................................................11
II CAUSE OP DEATH (A ccidental) (U. S . ) ......................................83
III NUMBER AND PERCENT DISTRIBUTION OF DEATHS FROM
ACCIDENTS, BY TYPE OF ACCIDENT AND BY PLACE OF
ACCIDENT, IN A 10-PERCENT SAMPLE: REPORTING AREA,
1945.................................................................................................................85
IV TYPES, LOCATIONS, AND OBJECTS INVOLVED IN HOME
ACCIDENTS...................................................................... 90
V OBJECTS INVOLVED IN HOME ACCIDENTS..........................................90
VI DEATHS AND DEATH RATES OF WORKERS BY MAJOR INDUS­
TRIES, 1946 ......................................................................................... 95
VII 1945 INJURY RATES BY INDUSTRY....................................................97
VIII SOURCES OF INJURIES (Eleven State Labor Departments) 99
IX TYPES OF ACCIDENTS..............................................................................103
X NUMBER OF NON-TRAFFIC FATALITIES BY PLACE OF
ACCIDENTS, AGE AND SEX OF DECEDENT REPORTING AREA
1945............................................................................................................ 109
XI STUDENT ACCIDENTS BY TYPE AND GRADE. 1945-1946. . . I l l
XII CAUSE OF DEATH (A ccidental) (W. V a.)....................................114
XIII TRAFFIC FATALITIES ON WEST VIRGINIA HIGHWAYS. . . . 119
XIV ACCIDENTS REPORTED BY CLASS (Regular Subscribers
only) • • • • .......................................................................................123
XV CAUSE OF DEATH (A ccidental) (Presumed and Actual) . 129
XVI DELEGATION OF RESPONSIBILITY TO A PERSON OR TO
A GROUP..................................................................................................... 153
XVII SAFETY AREAS INCLUDED BY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS . . . . 154
XVIII SAFETY AREAS INCLUDED BY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS. . . . 155
XIX SAFETY AREAS INCLUDED BY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS. . . . 156
XX MEANS OF PROTECTION CONSIDERED MOST BENEFICIAL. . . 158
XXI EFFECTIVE MEASURES FOR KEEPING TEACHERS AND OTHERS
INFORMED AND STIMULATED...............................................................159
XXII COOPERATING AGENCIES.........................................................................160
XXIII PUBLICIZING MEDIA ........................................................................... lo l
XXIV SAFETY EDUCATION COURSES IN WEST VIRGINIA COLLEGES. 163
XXV COMPARISON AND/OR CONTRAST OF SAFETY COURSES. . . . 184
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Title Page
I MOTOR-VEHICLE ACCIDENT DEATH RATES FOR EACH
STATE: UNITED STATES, 194?............................................. . 10?
II THE 194? ORGANIZATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS..................................................................
I II THE 1945 ORGANIZATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.................................................................. . 199
IV THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HIGHER
EDUCATION ...................................................................................
V THE 1945 ORGANIZATION OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION ...................................................................................
VI THE PROPOSED ORGANIZATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION
OF FREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.......................................................... . 211
VII THE PROPOSED ORGANIZATION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION
OF HIGHER EDUCATION ..............................................................
V III THE PROPOSED ORGANIZATION OF THE STAFF OF THE
STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION........................................
IX PUN OF COORDINATION...........................................................
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Prelim inary Statement
The prevention of in ju rie s, the conservation of lif e , and
of m aterial resources are fundamentally based upon the safety
knowledge, s k ills and attitu d es of the people. Education is
the means by which knowledge is b u ilt, sk ills are developed and
a ttitu d e s are formed. The status and u tility of awareness,
caution and purposeful action on the part of an individual are
*
based larg ely upon the nature of his educational experiences
in a p a rtic u la r f ie ld .
Education has long been viewed as the process of preparing
the individual to meet and successfully adapt himself to life
and its m ultiple com plexities. However, authoritative thinking
rela tiv e to b e tte r methods, m aterials and means for realizing
th is educational concept has changed with the ever changing
social concepts. C ulture, for example, when viewed as personal
enlightenment and refinem ent, is of questionable value as an
end in its e lf . But when put to p ractical use, through the
in te rp retatio n and application of factual information to every­
day liv in g , I t becomes a very important process, a process to
be u tiliz e d by the school and college In meeting the needs of
mankind.
In recognition of increasing need, the educational trend
of today points toward the enrichment of curricula by the in ­
clusion of materials, subject matter and activ ities of more
p ra c tic a l nature. Illustrative of need is the ex istin g accident
problem. According to National Safety Council s ta tis tic s ,
approximately 96,000 persons were accidentally k ille d in 194-5
and 10, 250,000 others received non-fatal disabling ac cid e n tal
in ju rie s . The calculable cost of these accidents was more than
fiv e b illio n dollars.^ This represents an obligation th a t so­
c ie ty cannot afford to neglect. It thus becomes the duty of
so ciety to assume the responsibility of providing su ita b le
environment, instruction and guidance whereby children w ill
le a rn to meet and deal effectively with an increasingly hazard­
ous and complex life .
The school is representative of one of the so cial agencies
best equipped to assume this responsibility. To do th is e ffe c ­
tiv e ly , adequate provision must be made for the development of
leadership to serve in the schools and other agencies of the
community concerned with safety and accident prevention. This
becomes the task of institutions of higher education.
Without a doubt, educating for safety has a d e fin ite place
in modern education, A decade of experimentation and prom otion
has d efin itely established the subject of safety education from
1. Accident Facts. 1946,
the standpoint of value and necessity. Along with other select
sta te s , West V irginia intends to aid in making that place
secure. Not in curriculum theory, rules, slogans and stereo­
typed inform ation, but through p ractical, observable results
in accident reduction and through practices that w ill make for
purposeful and safe behavior in children and adults throughout
the s ta te .
Purpose
The purpose of th is study is threefold in nature: (1) to
meet the need of pre-service and in-service teachers for infor­
mation, methods and techniques of instruction in safety and
accident prevention; (2) to present a pattern of informed
adm inistrative action in safety and accident prevention that
may be u tiliz e d by the teacher-education colleges of West
V irginia; arid (3) to effect the reduction of accidents and
to fu rth er conservation a c tiv itie s throughout the sta te . More
sp e c ific a lly , i t is the purpose of this study to make available,
by way of example, to the teacher-education colleges of West
V irginia a safety education program designed in accordance
with the needs of the sta te, with necessary organizational and
adm inistrative policy and procedures, and presented in a form
suitable for application with minumum modification in terms of
need.
Statement of Problem
The problem is the organization, development and presenta­
tio n of a leadership-training program in safety education for