(Page 3 of 80) - Changing Teaching Practice in a Research Methods Course Utilizing a Student-Centered Approach authored by Shingles, Richard., Becerra, Raquel. and Pencek, Bruce.

Shingles, Becerra & Pencek
Virginia Tech

February, 2006

APSA Teaching & Learning Conference

Introduction

This paper seeks to explore the practice of teaching an undergraduate political science
research methods course using a substantively broad, student-centered approach to
learning and teaching. Our paper and presentation will discuss our experiences with
changes we have made to the mode of instruction, including a multi-methodological
approach and the use of interactive learning activities that engage students in a dialogue
among themselves and with the instructor. There are practical and pedagogical
challenges involved in effectively designing an undergraduate research methods course
(Benson and Blackman, 2003). One challenge is the substantial time required to
instruct students on how to do empirical research. One the one hand, one can best learn
methods by doing it (not by relying solely on students reading about methods and

lectures). On the other hand, having students work their way through the key steps of
scientific method requires a considerable investment, leaving little room for instruction
in other, perhaps equally essential, methods of knowing. Another challenge is the
didactic approach that Paulo Freire labels the “banking” method of teaching: depositing
information in student’s minds, as opposed to a problem-solving approach intended to
foster critical thinking. Are conventional research methods courses based on the
transfer of technical information and skills to the next generation in the best interests of
most students? Or, are students “projects” in which methodologists, perhaps
unwittingly, attempt to clone themselves? Does pedantic instruction in scientific
method alienate students from systematic, self-conscious acts of knowing? We strive for
an alternative pedagogy that encourages students to think of the study of methods of
knowing as self-empowering. Our goal is the creation of a student-centered
environment focused on helping student to become self-conscious, critical consumers of
all forms of information, including scholarly research. Our changes to practice were
made in response to the recognition that a major learning objective for this course
should be to develop students’ critical and reflective thinking, not only in designing and
implementing empirical research, but as consumers of all kinds of information,
including scientific reports. Our efforts to encourage a broad political -- as opposed to a
specifically political science -- competence converged with our library's efforts to
encourage deep, substantive information competencies.

The contextual focus of this paper is changes to teaching practice in a required
undergraduate research methods course for political science students. Beginning in the
spring of 1996, Shingles and Becerra, then his graduate teaching assistant, began

collaborating with our college librarian to redesign the methods curriculum with the aim
of making the course more interesting and relevant to students by focusing on their
current information needs. This past summer, we were awarded an internal University
grant to develop on-line information literacy modules that increase students’ ability to

apply critical thinking and viewing skills to what they see, hear and read (see Appendix
A for discussion of the information literacy grant). The focus of the paper and

presentation will be to share our pedagogy and our conclusions about the pros and cons
of devoting undergraduate methods courses to information competency rather than
teach solely or primarily the traditional steps to empirical research.