Incorporating Inquiry in an Introductory American Politics Course (Pre-Recorded)

• In Event: Making It Real: Taking Action in Teaching

Abstract

Introductory-level courses in political science are long on subject matter. That results in “shallow learning” because students are not introduced to the “assumptions, arguments, approaches, and controversies” that are the foundations of political science (Wahlke 1991, 49). For decades, reformers in political science have urged “sequential learning” that scaffolds students through the political science major that “lead to more sophisticed understanding…leaps of imagination and efforts at synthesis” (49). This paper uses data from a course redesign in Fall 2020. to ask: What if lab assignments were incorporated into a general education course? During Fall 2020 I redesigned my intro to American politics course to include mandatory labs appropriate for an introductory course with a diverse student body (e.g., college readiness, intended major, ethnicity, socioeconomic status). The results of this “experiment” suggest that requiring students to complete labs has a positive effect on learning outcomes. Specifically, for each completed lab the average exam score increases by almost 8-points p < .000). Furthermore, these results do not introduce “equity gaps” based on ethnicity, first-generation status, or socioeconomic need. I conclude that the benefits of “incorporating inquiry” in lower-division political science courses will have benefits for students regardless of major. I argue that the critical thinking and quantitative literacy skills acquired in the labs may improve the performance of political science students in other major courses. and may be translated into better student performance for students pursuing other majors. Non-majors will benefit from understanding the commonalities and differences in the questions and methodologies in their chosen major.

Author

• Sean Q Kelly, California State University, Channel Islands