—The most general features of the method of knowing have been
given in our chapter on thinking. They are the features of the
reflective situation: Problem, collection and analysis of data,
projection and elaboration of suggestions or ideas, experimental
application and testing; the resulting conclusion or judgment. The
specific elements of an individual's method or way of attack upon a
problem are found ultimately in his native tendencies and his acquired
habits and interests. The method of one will vary from that of another
(and properly vary) as his original instinctive capacities vary,
as his past experiences and his preferences vary. Those who have already
studied these matters are in possession of information which will help
teachers in understanding the responses different pupils make, and help
them in guiding these responses to greater efficiency. Child-study,
psychology, and a knowledge of social environment supplement the
personal acquaintance gained by the teacher. But methods remain the
personal concern, approach, and attack of an individual, and no
catalogue can ever exhaust their diversity of form and tint.
Some attitudes may be named, however,-which are central in effective
intellectual ways of dealing with subject matter. Among the most
important are directness, open-mindedness, single-mindedness (or
whole-heartedness), and responsibility.
