Research Methods and Criminal Justice Curricula: Surmounting the Obstacles

Abstract

Teaching research methods to undergraduate social science students has typically been recognized as problematic. Such students often experience considerable anxiety concerning the required research courses in their curricula and infrequently enter these classes with motivation to learn about research methods. These problems appear to be exacerbated in criminal justice programs because of its recent emergence as a distinct academicfield. Criminaljustice curricula typically have inadequate sequences of research related courses and often fail to integrate their research and substantive components. This article discusses the problems and recommends an applied instructional strategy as a means of compensating for the resulting deficiencies. Severalforms of such an instructional approach are delineated, but it is emphasized that this technique is supplemental to traditional teaching strategies. To the degree that educators are successful in alleviating student anxiety about courses in research methods and strengthening the research component of criminal justice curricula, the needfor this applied instructional strategy is obviated.