The two-tier instrument on photosynthesis: What does it diagnose?

The goal of this study was to understand how six college biology students complete the tasks of a traditional paper and pencil instrument designed to detect alternative conceptions about photosynthesis. Participants responded to relevant items in a two-tier diagnostic instrument in a think-aloud task. Responses to the traditional content question (first tier) were correct more often than reasons (second tier). However the participants' verbal data indicated that they relied upon test-taking strategies, not retrieval from memory, to choose their reasons. Some distractors caused participants to accept incorrect propositions being considered for the first time (rather than eliciting a misconception from extant knowledge). They also considered relevant exceptions and subtle language cues that justified their choices of incorrect reasons. Participants voiced concerns about the conscientiousness with which students complete such instruments. These findings raise concerns about the validity of using such instruments for diagnosing alternative conceptions.     

Accessibility and Order: Crossing Borders in Child Abuse Forensic Reports

Physicians write child abuse forensic reports for nonphysicians. We examined 73 forensic reports from a Canadian children's hospital for recurrent strategies geared toward making medical information accessible to nonmedical users; we also interviewed four report writers and five readers. These reports featured unique forensic inserts in addition to headings, lists, and parentheses, which are typical of physician letters for patients. We discuss implications of these strategies that must bridge the communities of medical, social, and legal practice.     

Helping Youth in Underserved Communities Envision Possible Futures

Empowering youth through the exploration of their possible futures is a fresh and innovative approach to the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility model (TPSR). The purpose of this study was to examine the combination of TPSR with the theory of possible selves. This combination, called the Career Club, was a program specifically designed to better assist students in understanding and facilitating reflective discussions on their future decisions. Career Club was taught weekly for nine sessions, 90 min each, at an inner city elementary school in a large metropolitan city. Participants comprised 12 seventh- and eighth-grade boys and girls who had at least 1 year and up to 5 years of experience in a TPSR program. Data sources included document analysis, lesson observations, formal interviews, and observational field notes. Themes were classified into the following categories: hopedfor-selves and feared selves—a delicate balance, coaching as a necessary component, and coming to understand possible futures. These results indicated that Career Club was effective in providing the participants a meaningful career exploration in coaching. Data also suggested these coaching experiences facilitated reflective discussions on realizing their future orientation choices.