Books

The Handbook of Political Research Pedagogy aims to address questions of why political science programs teach the research process and, centrally, how instructors come to teach these courses and develop their pedagogical approaches. What role do research courses have in political science education? What are the ultimate objectives of research courses, particularly for the vast majority of students who will not pursue a doctoral degree? These questions often go overlooked, even though research process courses are common in political science curricula—over 80 percent of political science departments offer at least one research course. Contributors to this Handbook offer a variety of perspectives on pedagogical approach, student audience, and the role of research in their curricula. Across four sections—information literacy, research design, research methods, and research writing—authors offer personal stories that showcase the evolution of their pedagogy through experience. Each offers best practices that can serve the wider community of teachers. Ultimately, this text focuses less on the technical substance of the research process, and more on the experiences that have guided instructors’ philosophies and practices related to teaching it.

Read the Table of Contents here

Endorsements:

“The Handbook provides an enjoyable and reflective read about the journeys of colleagues who have taught research and writing. You will be inspired by their wisdom and creativity. Undoubtedly, your own course design and how you approach learning will be impacted.”

--Janet Box-Steffensmeier, APSA President (2020-21), Distinguished University Professor, The Ohio State University, USA

“In this Handbook, instructors will find a diverse and inspiring resource for teaching any course that has a research component. The breadth of personal knowledge in the chapters provides insights into the pedagogical thought process from a variety of perspectives, sparking both ideas for innovative assignments and rethinking of course goals.”

--Rebecca Glazier, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, USA

“How do we thwart the authoritarians? One way is to teach our students to distinguish fact from fiction, quality research from social media rabbit holes. Mallinson, Marin Hellwege, and Loepp, along with their wide-ranging team of scholars, have written a book that should be on the desk of every political science teacher.”

--Mark Carl Rom, Associate Professor of Government and Public Policy, Georgetown University, USA

Research has found that female members of Congress introduce legislation often considered to address “women’s issues” - issues such as equality in the workplace including sexual harassment and the wage gap, women’s healthcare issues including reproductive rights and insurance coverages, and social issues such as domestic violence at rates higher than men. Were it not for women in Congress, many of these issues may never be part of the public discourse or legislative agenda. However, many of these issues are not necessarily on the minds of all women, but rather relate to their role as mothers. Our work finds in particular that women with young children are more likely to sponsor children and family centered bills than women with adult children or without children. We also further explore the question of parenthood as a descriptive characteristic by expanding our study to include data on male members of Congress, as well as more detailed examination of bill content. We find that parental identity works differently for men and women, where mothers of young children sponsor more child and family legislation per session than mothers of adult children, women with no children, and all men, though there is some slight variation within men. This analysis of fathers allows for a stronger test of the independent effect of parenthood as a descriptive characteristic. In turn, this study broadens our understanding of how legislators prioritize and approach policy issues, which ultimately impact their citizenry. Examination of bill content also allow us to understand if parents are more likely to sponsor bills that are use language that is more expansive or restrictive in terms of services and protections for children and families, or if this is largely a function of ideology.

Pursuing a graduate degree in political science is the first step in pursuing an academic or alt-academic career. Yet there is a large hidden curriculum in graduate school (pertaining strategies, norms, and practices that, when implemented, can help students navigate graduate school) that can be difficult to learn and navigate, even for the most successful undergraduate students and early career professionals who are beginning their graduate career. Beyond gaining entry to graduate school, surviving, and thriving as a graduate student, success requires insights into academia and political science that most undergraduates, recent college graduates or early career professionals simply will not know. Additionally, lack of access to this hidden curriculum most disadvantages first generation and minoritized students, which maintains inequalities in the discipline. Presently, the APSA leadership is increasing its efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion across the profession by addressing issues of climate, culture, and institutional and systemic inequality through a variety of measures: diversity and inclusion programming, presidential task forces and other council-backed initiatives. While this work is ongoing, this resource guide will attempt to fill the knowledge-gap for prospective and current graduate students, providing insights into everything from applying for admission and finding a mentor, to landing that first job – and everything in between.

Topics range from the mundane to the complex. Chapters are organized into the following sections:

• The Application Process (e.g., admissions, graduate assistantships, selecting a program)

• On Campus (e.g., committees, comp. exams, dissertation, hostile cultures, and burnout)

• Professional Development - Scholarship (e.g., conferencing, grants, publishing)

• Professional Development - Teaching (e.g., preparing for first experience)

• Professional Development - Service (e.g., professional service and unionizing)

• Professional Development - The Job Market (e.g., network, alt-ac careers, interviewing)

• Climate and Culture in the Department and Profession (e.g., implicit bias, imposter syndrome, harassment)

• Strategies for Addressing Implicit Bias, Harassment, Assault (e.g., concerns for under-represented groups, including race, gender, sexuality, international students, and first-gen)

• Mental Health and Wellness in Graduate School (e.g., isolation, depression, and anxiety, accommodations)