Editors' Introduction to the Thematic Issue: Mad about Methods? Teaching Research Methods in Political Science

The contributors to this special issue all seek to address the challenge of teaching research methods to political science students. This introduction aims to provide a concise framework for the various innovations presented throughout this issue, situating them in the wider literature. Particular e...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of political science education Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 1 - 10
Main Authors Adriaensen, Johan, Kerremans, Bart, Slootmaeckers, Koen
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 02.01.2015
Taylor & Francis, Ltd
Subjects
Active Learning
Anxiety
Class Size
Educational Environment
Educational Practices
Experiential Learning
Feedback (Response)
Heterogeneous Grouping
Methods Courses
Political Science
Research Methodology
Statistics
Student Interests
Student Role
Teacher Role
Teacher Student Relationship
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:The contributors to this special issue all seek to address the challenge of teaching research methods to political science students. This introduction aims to provide a concise framework for the various innovations presented throughout this issue, situating them in the wider literature. Particular emphasis is placed on the factors that distinguish the teaching of research methods from other subjects in the political science curriculum, that is, it revolves around the acquisition of a skill rather than knowledge. Over the last decade, a large body of literature emerged identifying the challenges associated with methods instruction that provides various tools to help overcoming such challenges (see, e.g., Kilburn, Nind, and Wiles 2014; Wagner, Garner, and Kawulich 2011). This review is structured along three different dimensions of the teaching/learning process: the role of the student, the role of the professor, and the context in which learning takes place. For each of these, the authors highlight a number of factors that can enable (or constrain) the effective learning of research methods.
ISSN:1551-2169
1551-2177
DOI:10.1080/15512169.2014.985017