ERIC Number: EJ1337527
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-8756-7555
EISSN: N/A
Initial Evidence for the Learner-Centered Syllabus Scale: A Focus on Reliability and Concurrent and Predictive Validity
College Teaching, v70 n1 p33-42 2022
I created the 15-item Learner-Centered Syllabus Scale (LCSS) based on the work of Cullen and Harris. The purpose of this study was to assess the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the LCSS. Four blind coders assessed 175 syllabi using the LCSS with 92% inter-rater agreement. To establish concurrent validity, each blind coder rated the syllabus on the Syllabus Tone Survey and the Learner-Centered Syllabus Checklist. To establish predictive validity raters then rated each instructor of the syllabus on the Teacher Behavior Checklist and the Professor-Student Rapport Scale. Results indicate that the LCSS did not have the same factor structure as suggested by Cullen and Harris. Instead, five factors emerged: "Community and Shared Control," "Accessibility and Student Outcomes," "Assessment and Evaluation Factor," "Course Flexibility," and "Collaboration" accounting for 54% of the overall variance. The LCSS demonstrated moderate to strong internal reliability and demonstrated concurrent validity with the Syllabus Tone Survey and the Learner-Centered Syllabus Checklist. Multiple regression analyses reveal that the LCSS demonstrated high predictive validity of the Teacher Behavior Checklist and the Professor-Student Rapport Scale. This initial evidence suggests that the LCSS may have important educational implications for syllabus construction and classroom design throughout higher education.
Descriptors: Student Centered Learning, Course Descriptions, Measures (Individuals), Test Reliability, Test Validity, Predictive Validity, Factor Analysis, Curriculum Evaluation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A