Building Political Discourse Skills: Students as Teachers
- By Lynne Chandler Garcia, United States Air Force Academy and Stacy Ulbig, Sam Houston State University
Engaging in political discourse in a contentious and polarized political environment can be intimidating and discomforting for students. Political science classrooms should provide training to equip students for these conversations. Utilizing peer-teachers, this project provides effective methods for imparting perspective taking and active listening skills. Our findings suggest that students may be more receptive to peers, who are going through similar academic experiences, compared to traditional instructors. Using an experimental design, we provide a step-by-step method for imparting discourse skills and improving political discourse in the classroom.
The Journal of Political Science Education is an intellectually rigorous, path-breaking, agenda-setting journal that publishes the highest quality scholarship on teaching and pedagogical issues in political science. The journal aims to represent the full range of questions, issues and approaches regarding political science education, including teaching-related issues, methods and techniques, learning/teaching activities and devices, educational assessment in political science, graduate education, and curriculum development.