Need for In-Service and Pre-Service Metric Education.

Two questionnaires were given to a random sample of rural and urban elementary and secondary teachers as well as to mathematics methods students at the University of Nevada. The questionnaires were used to determine (1) the need for inservice and preservice metric education and (2) the present knowledge of the metric system of Nevada teachers. The data indicated: (1) a need for inservice metric workshops for both rural and metropolitan elementary levels, (2) the need is not as great for workshops at junior and senior high levels, (3) elementary mathematics methods students are not adequately prepared in the metric system, and (4) secondary mathematics methods students and junior and senior high teachers are more adequately prepared in the metric system than their elementary counterparts. This paper suggests a workshop for secondary teachers and recommends that a more relevant and comprehensive questionnaire be prepared to verify the need for a workshop. (JBW)