Lindsay B. Wheeler

Does the Document Matter? The Evolving Role of Syllabi in Higher Education

by Michael S. Palmer, Lindsay B. Wheeler, and Itiya Aneece In Short • Traditional or content-focused syllabi make clear what the “course will do” and what “students will NOT do.” A lot of bolding, all-capping, italicizing, and underlining are obligatory aesthetic elements of these documents. • Learning-focused syllabi are characterized by engaging, question-driven course descriptions; long-ranging, multi-faceted learning goals; clear, measurable learning objectives; robust and transparent assessment and activity descriptions; detailed course schedules; a focus on student success; and, an inviting, approachable, and motivating tone. • When students read a learning-focused syllabus, they have signifi cantly more positive perceptions of the document itself, the course described by the syllabus, and the instructor associated with the course. • It is not enough to require syllabi, we need to require the right type of syllabi. Learningfocused ones can positively affect student motivation before students even enter the classroom, making meaningful engagement in the course much more likely.

The Science ELF: Assessing the Enquiry Levels Framework as a Heuristic for Professional Development.

This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach to explore randomly assigned treatment and control participants’ frequency of inquiry instruction in secondary science classrooms. Eleven treatment participants received professional development (PD) that emphasized a structured approach to inquiry instruction, while 10 control participants received no PD. Two representative treatment participants were interviewed and observed to provide an in-depth understanding of inquiry instruction and factors affecting implementation. Paired t-tests were used to analyze quantitative data from observation forms, and a constant comparative approach was used to analyze qualitative data from surveys, interviews, purposeful observations and artifacts. Results indicated that treatment participants implemented inquiry significantly more frequently than control participants (p < .01). Two treatment participants’ instruction revealed that both used a similar structure of inquiry but employed different types of interactions and emphasized different scientific practices. These differences may be explained by the participants’ understandings of and beliefs about inquiry and structuring inquiry. The present study has the potential to inform how methods of structuring inquiry instruction and teaching scientific practices are addressed in teacher preparation.

Elementary science teachers’ integration of engineering design into science instruction: results from a randomised controlled trial

ABSTRACT This randomised controlled trial used a mixed-methods approach to investigate the frequency and how elementary teachers integrated engineering design (ED) principles into their science instruction following professional development (PD). The ED components of the PD were aligned with Cunningham and Carlsen’s [(2014). Teaching engineering practices. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 25, 197–210] guidelines for ED PD and promoted inclusion of ED within science teaching. The treatment group included 219 teachers from 83 schools. Participants in the control group included 145 teachers from 60 schools in a mid-Atlantic state. Data sources, including lesson overviews and videotaped classroom observations, were analysed quantitatively to determine the frequency of ED integration and qualitatively to describe how teachers incorporated ED into instruction after attending the PD. Results indicated more participants who attended the PD (55%) incorporated ED into instruction compared with the control participants (24%), χ2(1, n = 401) = 33.225, p < .001,  = 0.308. Treatment and control teachers taught similar science content (p’s > .05) through ED lessons. In ED lessons, students typically conducted research and created and tested initial designs. The results suggest the PD supported teachers in implementing ED into their science instruction and support the efficacy of using Cunningham and Carlsen’s (2014) guidelines to inform ED PD design.

Incorporating Argumentation through Forensic Science

ABSTRACT This article outlines how to incorporate argumentation into a forensic science unit using a mock trial. Practical details of the mock trial include: (1) a method of scaffolding students’ development of their argument for the trial, (2) a clearly outlined set of expectations for students during the planning and implementation of the mock trial, and (3) an example of how to use questioning to guide students through the planning of the mock trial. While a general forensic science unit is provided in the article, a teacher can use the details of the mock trial with any forensic science unit for either middle school or secondary science students.