Shaping the College Classroom through Syllabi

• In Event: 3166 - New Research in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Course syllabi are intended to communicate the structure and requirements of a course but they often communicate important information about the expected classroom climate. These interactional features of the class can have as much impact on student learning as the more structural aspects. This study analyzes classroom climate statements in syllabi from various sociology courses. Drawing from data collected by Grauerholz and Gibson (2006) and syllabi from the Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology (TRAILS), the current study compares college classroom syllabi from two different times periods (pre-2005 and post- 2010) to analyze the frequency of classroom climate statements, the factors that may contribute to the presence of a statement, and common language/themes within these statements. Results show an increase in climate statements between the two time periods. The statements from the pre-2005 sample were more likely to communicate a sense of collaboration among students while those after 2010 placed a stronger emphasis on behavioral expectations.

Authors

• Jessica Valentin, University of Central Florida

• Elizabeth Grauerholz, University of Central Florida