Political Science Students Research Articles

Designing Material for Teaching English for Political Science and Diplomacy or How to Be Up-To-Date With Potentially Outdated Material

Language for Specific Purposes materials have to be designed in such a way as to meet particular occupational or academic needs of learners (Anthony 10-11) and comply with certain general principles of material design, inter alia to provide a stimulus to learning since “good materials do not teach: they encourage learners to learn.”, and to represent models of correct and appropriate language use (Hutchinson and Waters 107- 108). As the authors of this paper learned in the process of designing materials for teaching English for Political Science and Diplomacy within the ReFLAME project, these materials have to meet another important requirement – they should be up-to-date. The reason for that is the fact that political science students and professionals are immersed in current affairs, since the problems they study are always linked to the latest local, national or global developments. Therefore, an important challenge in the process of designing material for teaching Language for Political Science and Diplomacy is how to ensure that the materials are up-to-date, since they can be linked to current affairs at the time of designing the materials, but these issues might not necessarily remain relevant in the future. This paper presents the techniques and approaches the authors used in their efforts to ensure that, although not necessarily up-to-date, the materials encourage learners to learn and make links to the current affairs of the present time

Technical, psychological and behavioural aspects of teaching EFL and ESP university courses online: A case study of the 2020-2021 curriculum

Taking measures against the coronavirus pandemic in 2020-2021 many universities all over the world had to transform their formal classes into distance or online courses. The article deals with the issues of online EFL and ESP teaching and the learning process in distance format under an instructor’s supervision. The research is based on the feedback data of the survey conducted for the Political Science students who were taking up the English language university course online in the 2020-2021 curriculum instead of formal classes. The aim of the research was to reveal the technical, psychological and behavioural aspects of English language distance learning in a virtual MS Teams classroom as well as to analyse the students’ self-assessment of the efficiency and results of the distance EFL course. Applying quantitative and qualitative data analyses together with the method of involved observation, the authors arrive at conclusions concerning the still existing technical problems preventing students from working effectively, the disruptive character of certain psychological and behavioural patterns in a virtual classroom, as well as discrepancies between the amount of effort students put into their work and their academic achievements. Study results show both the drawbacks of the distance online format compared to the traditional formal classroom and the possibilities of effective implementation of distance forms of education at some stages of the English language educational process or within particular modules of the curriculum.

Career Preparation and Faculty Advising: How Faculty Advising Can Improve Student Outcomes and Prepare Them for Life After Graduation

Can faculty advising ease the postgraduation stress for political science majors and help them pick a career after graduation? Faculty advisors have increasingly become the norm, yet Collins et al. find that there is wide disparity on career preparation offered to political science students across institutions in the United States. In this paper, we seek to answer how faculty advising can impact student confidence in their options after graduation. We examine the student perception of faculty advising at a large, public university. Participants in the study were recruited from the political science program with an approximate enrollment of 400 majors. Using data from 167 students, we found not only that the number of meetings with a faculty advisor improves the student’s level of knowledge about possible jobs after their graduation but also that they improve the student’s level of knowledge about graduate school, be it a master’s degree program, PhD program, or law school. More importantly, however, we found that the quality of advising mattered more in how students viewed these options.

Introducing Political Science Students to Data Visualization Strategies

Data visualization is an important tool for communicating research results. This manuscript discusses a method that instructors can use to introduce political science students to visualizations and discusses strategies that instructors can share with students about how to create high-quality visualizations. These strategies can help students make visualizations that avoid common shortcomings in published political science visualizations.

Promising Forms of the Growth of Socio-Political Activity of the Youth in Modern Russian Region

The article deals with the problem of the socio-political activity of young people in modern Russia and its civic position. Regional experience is analyzed on how to politically activate the youth. On the example of the Belgorod region, the forms of the growth of the socio-political activity of young people, including youth representation and youth public associations, are considered. Much attention is paid to the professional education of political science students as the most socially and politically active part of the student body, to the areas of prevention of destructive political behaviour. Problems are identified that impede the socio-political activation of young people, primarily students who are not political scientists, students of colleges, lyceums, colleges and schools. Among the problems are an insufficient level of knowledge about political life, a low level of awareness of ongoing political events, and an unformed civic position. Promising, in the author’s opinion, forms of growth of social and political activity of young people with interest and leadership qualities are proposed - participation in the activities of youth parliaments, youth governments, youth election commissions, specialized political science clubs. There is a need for mass political education and prevention of destructive political activity among the youth.

Analysis of Student Participation in University Organization Using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling

This study aims to find the effect of organizational climate and motivation on member participation in student organization activities. The sample in this study amounted to 113 members of the Hasanuddin University Political Science Student Association. Data were collected through questionnaires and then analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling technique available in the SmartPLS program. The results of this study indicate that organizational climate and motivation have a positive and significant influence on member participation in organizational activities. The implication of the statement shows that maximizing the level of participation, it can be done by strengthening and adjusting the dimensions of values contained in the organizational climate and motivational constructs.

Dictators’ Drinks at the Pub. A Role Play on the Strategic Use of Power and Violence

The Dictators’ Drinks at the Pub is a role play for political science students that develops an understanding of the rational and strategic uses of state violence. The role play facilitates informal discussions and mutual advice between political leaders of autocratic or semi-democratic states regarding the strategic use of violence. The role play is designed to allow a deeper understanding of how violence can be pragmatically and politically useful (beyond obvious normative prescriptions against it) and which institutional and other factors act to constrain it. By drawing on real-world cases, participants deepen their knowledge of one empirical case considerably, as well as fostering comparative analysis with other cases. The collaborative atmosphere strengthens group cohesion in-class allowing for more in-depth discussions of sensitive topics. While the method is time-consuming and strongly dependent on solid preparation through the participants, the role play facilitates in-depth and long-term engagement with the issues.

Teamwork within a Senior Capstone Course: Implementation and Assessment

ABSTRACTAlthough senior capstone courses and projects globally are growing in popularity for undergraduate students in political science, with the potential to integrate prior curriculum and assess student learning, students generally undertake this milestone as individuals. In contrast, we present a teamwork-based capstone course wherein key student submissions—including the final project—are created in teams. Having conducted this course for several years, we describe in this article how we incorporated teamwork and demonstrate how students evaluate teamwork in in-person, online, and hybrid course formats.

Preparing Political Science Students for Today’s Labor Market: Lessons from Poland

Preparing Political Science Students for Today’s Labor Market: Lessons from Poland

Social Media as a Transformative Agent of Political Behavior Among Political Science Students in a Component City

The political future of the Philippines depends on young people getting involved. This study investigated the use of social media as a transformative agent in changing the political behavior of political science students in a component city. This study was done in the City of San Fernando, La Union. Marshall McLuhan's Media Ecology Theory and Herbert Blumer's Uses and Gratification Theory was used as the theoretical bases. Both descriptive-correlational and quantitative methods were employed in this study. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect data. The researchers included 350 political science students. The results showed that the respondents were frequently exposed to political and election-related information on social media. Also, social media was regarded as relevant in changing respondents’ political participation. However, this information was only appropriate for a limited range and was not strong enough to change their political behavior. The findings suggest that social media is still significant to students' political lives. The findings revealed no critical link between the level of exposure to political and election-related content and its relevance in changing political behavior among respondents, with a p-value of 0.574 (Negligible Positive Relationship). A validated curriculum review and recommendation for special topics for Bachelor of Arts in Political Science is recommended to help improve the identified weaknesses.

The Effect of Academic Discipline on Policy Attitudes: The Case of Czech University Students

Abstract While the effect of academic discipline on political attitudes has long been acknowledged, much less is known on how disciplinary background affects policy attitudes. Linder and Peters (1992) argued that attitudes to policy instruments correspond with discipline: lawyers are assumed to tend to be partial to legalistic regulatory instruments, economists to favor economic tools such as loans or taxation. Nevertheless, relevant empirical evidence is almost non-existent. The paper attempts to bridge this gap by comparing policy instruments attitudes in different academic disciplines on a sample of Czech university students (N = 8820). We inquire whether students in different academic fields (with special emphasis on economics, law, education, political science, and mass media/journalism) differ in their political and policy views. In line with previous research, students pursuing economics and law (as well as education) are found to be more right-wing oriented than students of political science and mass media. Students also differ in terms of their overall acceptance of policy instruments, with those of political science being the most accepting of all types of instruments. However, we find little support for the correspondence thesis proposed by Linder and Peters.

REACHING MATURITY: TEACHING HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS POLITICAL SCIENCE IN THE 2020S

Purpose of the research: This article discusses the different aspects to consider when deciding the pedagogical choices by which various political sciences can be taught and learnt. Pedagogy is the educational process a teacher uses to teach a learner a new skill. Pedagogy can be teacher-centred or learner-centred, the latter focussing on students having an active role in the learning process. Research methodology: This critical review was written by conducting several internet searches using clearly relevant keywords. Grey literature, policy documents from numerous state actors, associated democratisation, higher education practitioners and stakeholders, feature extensively in this critical review. Findings: Political science students could be taught using experiential learning-centred pedagogy, to learn how equality, diversity and inclusion affect political processes. A basic understanding of political science concepts e.g., agenda-setting and media manipulation, are crucial in conceptualising the politic of equality, diversity and inclusion. Conclusions: Three factors that have caused a significant increase in political science degree applications: The 2008 election of Barack Obama as US President heralded digital democracy and E-government participation.; the rise to prominence of Greta Thunberg, climate activist with the environmentalist movement Extinction Rebellion; the #BLM social movement, re-ignited by the death of George Floyd.

Ask a Political Scientist: A Conversation with Cynthia Enloe about Gender and Global Politics

Ask a Political Scientist: A Conversation with Cynthia Enloe about Gender and Global Politics

Teaching Computational Social Science for All

ABSTRACTComputational methods have become an integral part of political science research. However, helping students to acquire these new skills is challenging because programming proficiency is necessary, and most political science students have little coding experience. This article presents pedagogical strategies to make transitioning from Excel, SPSS, orStatatoRor Python for data analytics less challenging and more exciting. First, it discusses two approaches for making computational methods accessible: showing the big picture and walking through the workflow. Second, a step-by-step guide for a typical course is provided using three examples: learning programming fundamentals, wrangling messy data, and communicating data analysis.

Pedagogies Of Academic Writing For Undergraduate Students In Political Science: A Discussion On The Literature

Our paper discusses academic writing for political science undergraduate higher education students. In the first part it focuses on the main topics in academic writing in political science, such as citation, references list, academic style, plagiarism. The second part focuses on recent discussions of teaching strategies in the field. While depicting a global picture in discussing trends in the literature, the paper also employs a minor focus on Romania. The paper makes a contribution to understanding the literature on academic writing in undergraduate political science higher education and helps comprehend recent pedagogical trends and developments.

The Impact of Educational Technology on Teaching and Frequency of Usage: The Case of Saudi Arabian Universities

Educational technology refers to the application of software, hardware, and other educational accessories to enhance the learning process, and improve learners’ performances. This paper aims to research the various forms of technology integrated into Saudi Arabia’s educational system and to determine how they have been used to enhance learners’ achievements in schools. The study was conducted on 325 students studying political science in five different universities in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh. Samples of students were taken from King Saud University, Prince Sultan University, Shaqra University, Al Yamamah University, and Majmaah University. An online survey on the application of technology in education was sent to all the respondents of the study. To determine the frequency of technology usage and its impact on students’ achievements, the correlation rank coefficient, and descriptive statistics were used. In all five learning institutions, the study revealed a significant relationship between students’ use of technology and their achievements in class. According to the study, 58% of the students used laptops in their learning activities, 35% used mobile devices, 5% used tablets, and 0.5% used desktop computers. This paper details the results of the study to show how technology is used among political science students in the country, and the benefits associated with it. The use of technology in learning processes produces substantial benefits, compared to not utilizing assistive technologies. Nonetheless, further research is required to determine the scale of success associated with educational technology.

Building a Semi-Technical Political News Word List for Political Science Students

Building a Semi-Technical Political News Word List for Political Science Students

Creating an Online Russian as a Foreign Language Course during the COVID-19 Epidemic

In March 2020, due to the coronavirus epidemic all Italian universities switched to online classes and managed to ensure the right to education. Making the switch to online learning, teachers faced new difficulties that they had to sort out immediately. The purpose of the research is to provide scientific and methodological substantiation of the development of the online course of Russian as a foreign language at the University of Bologna. Due to the coronavirus lockdown, such a course was considered as the only possible way to provide the educational process. The author of the article made an attempt to empirically determine the potential of information technology used to organize a productive learning environment for language learners (including Russian-language learners). The article analyses the way the online educational process was organized to teach Russian to political science students of the University of Bologna (Forl Campus). The researcher studied the structure and functions of the IOL and Virtuale learning environment on the Moodle platform, as well as the means of interaction between students and teachers. The methods for analysing distance learning research papers and empirical methods for assessing the communicative-speech activity of Italian students attending the online Russian language course were used. Apart from that, based on the results of the survey conducted to find out the learners attitude to online education, a psychological and pedagogical analysis of the students educational activities was carried out. The researcher clarified the definition of e-learning, and considered the cognitive theory of multimedia learning in terms of effective transmission of information during the educational process and direct communication with students. As for the theoretical significance of the article, the author made an attempt to substantiate the need to create and use distance courses for students learning foreign languages (in particular Russian). As for the practical significance of this work, the researcher developed practice-oriented modular computer environment to teach Russian as a foreign language and considered computer-assisted language learning. Methodologies to increase linguistic, communicative and regional geographic competencies of Italian students were developed. In addition, new multimedia educational resources were introduced into the process of teaching political science students. The author summed up the results of the study, analysed the weak and strong points of the online course and proposed the ways to improve it.

How Russian Youth Consume Information: Case Study of the Political Science Students of the Financial University

This article is devoted to analyzing the results of a study conducted by the Educational and Scientific Laboratory of Internet Projects and Studies of the Department of Political Science and Mass Communications of the Financial University among university students. The work aimed to identify the characteristics and structure of youth information consumption in the digital space during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors analyzed the intensity and frequency of use of various types of information sources, identified the dominant sources of socio-political information, determining the level of trust in them, identified factors that affect the perception of message content. The article also analyzes the attitude of the respondents to the issue of Internet regulation by the state, defines and structures the subjective assessments of the opposition of the Internet space concerning existing government institutions. The paper concludes that the structure of the information consumption of the respondents shows a steady shift in the emphasis on information and communication activity of young people to digital platforms, sources, and channels. The youth audience spends a significant part of their active time in the digital space, which in its volume is comparable or even in many cases exceeds the amount of time spent in the traditional offline space. The consequence of this is the formation of digital information overload, stimulating the development and consolidation of the effect of clip consciousness. In general, based on the results of the work, the authors conclude that there is a stable structure of youth information consumption that has pronounced differences from the traditional structure of information consumption of older generations. Moreover, the processes of information consumption in the digital space are mostly irrational, and they are mainly based on digital habits that form the models of digital information consumption of modern students.

Mental Health and the PhD: Insights and Implications for Political Science

ABSTRACTThere is a severe mental health crisis among graduate students in political science. We present findings from an original survey on the mental health of political science PhD students at seven US universities. Our results are concerning: 15.8% expressed thoughts of suicide in the two weeks prior to taking the survey. About 30% of respondents met the criteria for depression and only a third of those were receiving treatment. Approximately 32% met the criteria for anxiety and fewer than half were receiving treatment. We also found that students with poorer mental health were more isolated, had fewer friends in their department and fewer people to turn to for help, and were more likely to contemplate dropping out of their program. Our study raises important questions about the experiences of graduate students during the PhD program and serves as an urgent call to action to address the well-being of our colleagues.