Political Science Pedagogy Research Articles

Active Learning: Beyond Structured Debates in Political Science Pedagogy

We examine the impact of two types of active learning—traditional standardized debate and the newer value-line debate, both under-studied in political science pedagogy—on students. Our study argues that value-line debate is as valuable as the more structured debate, based on student perceptions of learning outcomes through Likert-format survey data (n = 105) across 8 key variables. Therefore, we argue that employment of a combination of debate styles in the classroom is a sensible pedagogical approach. We also argue that upper-level students rate debating experiences higher than introductory-level students rate theirs. In short, one can infer from our research that faculty in a normative sense should be reassured about employing either the newer value-line approach or traditional structured debate type.

Political Science Pedagogy: A Critical, Radical, and Utopian Perspective. By William W. Sokoloff. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020. 172p. $89.99 cloth.

Political Science Pedagogy: A Critical, Radical, and Utopian Perspective. By William W. Sokoloff. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020. 172p. $89.99 cloth.

Simulations Research in Political Science Pedagogy: Where is Everyone?

Anecdotal evidence suggests pedagogy research on simulations in political science is dominated by two subfields: International Relations and Comparative Politics. This belief may stem from the widespread use of things like Model United Nations and Model Arab League or the popular game Statecraft. While some other subfields, notably public law, embrace simulations, there is less research on simulations in other subfields. While many professors likely use simulations in their classes, the research does not seem to demonstrate this. In this paper, we review articles published in The Journal of Political Science Education and PS: Political Science & Politics from 2005 to 2020 to determine which subfields are publishing the most pedagogy research on simulations. We find that the anecdotal perception is mostly accurate; International Relations accounts for a significant plurality of the simulations research. Other subfields trail behind. We end with an invitation for faculty from across the discipline to publish their simulations research. This will better encourage the use of simulations across more subfields of political science and make adopting those simulations easier for all faculty.

Review of Political Science Pedagogy: A Critical, Radical, and Utopian Perspective

In the world of global pandemic, instructors are doing a lot of thinking and talking about our pedagogy. William W. Sokoloff’s book challenges us to think and talk about why we became teachers in t...

Negotiating tensions in a community engaged and intersectionality-informed political science course

ABSTRACTThere is growing pressure on Canadian universities to demonstrate their applicability and relevance in contemporary society. Community engaged learning opportunities can respond to this pressure, and can provide important benefits for both students and community partners with whom students work. In this paper, I draw on my experiences of teaching an undergraduate and graduate community engaged political science course over the last four years, to reflect on three particular tensions I have negotiated in the course’s design and delivery, including: (a) teaching about socially engaged research and/or teaching about theories of citizen participation; (b) balancing student learning and community benefit; and (c) negotiating the rigidity of academic institutions. I explore these tensions while thinking about my concurrent commitment to an intersectional political science pedagogy [Rasmussen, Amy Cabrera. 2014. “Reflection: Toward an Intersectional Political Science Pedagogy.” Journal of Political Science Education 10: 102–116], and by drawing on Bivens, Haffenden and Hall’s [2015. “Knowledge, Higher Education, and the Institutionalization of Community-University Research Partnerships.” In Strengthening Community University Research Partnerships: Global Perspectives, edited by Budd Hall, Rajesh Tandon, and Crystal Tremblay, 5–30. Victoria: University of Victoria] proposed framework for institutionalizing community-university partnerships in post-secondary institutions, and feedback from students and partners. Ultimately, I suggest that community-engaged courses, despite the noted tensions, offer important and un-realized potential to political science curricula.

Best Practices in Civic Education: Lessons from the Journal of Political Science Education

ABSTRACTThe Journal of Political Science Education (JPSE) provides over a decade of research on political science pedagogy, featuring empirical research documenting best practices in the field. This article provides an overview of JPSE-published research on the topics of civic education and engagement. It summarizes the number and scope of articles on this topic and highlights key findings from the journal’s first 12 years. This comprehensive overview of past research is designed to facilitate high quality future research. A detailed exploration of past research provides a useful “jump start” for teacher-scholars eager to advance the scholarship and pedagogy of engagement.

Simulations as Active Assessment?: Typologizing by Purpose and Source

Assessment through simulation is something that political science pedagogy has yet to explore in a robust manner. This article advances analysis of social science simulation and assessment by laying out a typology of active-learning activities that isolates and examines their potential for assessment. In short, we argue that there are essentially two ideal types of games: organic and illustrative. The first calls on students to reveal behavior by making their own decisions while the second calls upon students to use knowledge gained through class content to guide their decisions. To this we add that, while we often use simulations for formative reasons (to help students understand and learn), we don't often consider that the summative or assessment function is also widely available to us. Across the disciplines, we know that business schools, language programs, and the military all actively use simulation and gaming not simply for formative purposes but also for assessment. Given this typology, this article explores how we might do so in the social sciences.

Learning Politics Through Theatre: What the Performance Workshop Can Offer Political Science Pedagogy

This paper describes teaching a course called “Politics and Theatre.” This interdisciplinary seminar combined discussion of the history and politics of twentieth-century Europe with an examination of the subjective experiences and works of four renowned political playwrights: Bernard Shaw, Bertolt Brecht, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Peter Weiss. One of the main elements of the course was a performance workshop in which students served as actors and spectators in an ongoing performance of Brecht’s The Measures Taken. The workshop allowed students to learn not only what politics looks like, but also what it feels like to act politically.

Connecting Civic Engagement and International Relations Pedagogy: An Effective Combination?

Too often the combination of civic engagement and political science pedagogy is limited to the sub-fields of local, state, or national government. This paper presents an example of teaching substantive knowledge about global issues with the teaching and experience of civic engagement. It goes beyond mere show and tell highlights to present research on the effects of the course that evaluate whether or not the course is achieving its pedagogical goals of cultivating a civic identity and skill set coupled with an ongoing interest in and awareness of global issues and the work of international organizations on these issues. Following a grounding in the current pedagogy of civic engagement literature, research includes assessment data from an online survey of past students conducted from December 2010-February 2011 coupled with assessment data at the end of the six semesters in which the course was taught. It argues that if our discipline truly seeks to promote the political participation of our students, then our pedagogy cannot ignore the large amount of students who are more interested in international and comparative politics. Instead, we should have opportunities for all of our students to gain the knowledge and civic skills that are necessary for their development and participation as citizens.

Shakespeare's English History Plays as Political Science Pedagogy

Shakespeare's English History Plays as Political Science Pedagogy