Why I’m Doubling Down on Deliberative Pedagogy
By J. Cherie Strachan, University of Akron
Political scientists increasingly turn to civic engagement pedagogy to bolster their students’ democratic capacity. Choices are myriad, as civic engagement pedagogy has expanded beyond its original focus on service learning to encompass a wide array of high impact practices and experiential learning. The most relevant of these in the current political environment is deliberative pedagogy, as it has the greatest potential to scaffold essential civic skills, build trust, bolster civic identity, and broaden political engagement. These outcomes are most apt to occur when deliberative pedagogy is carefully designed to benefit all students, and not just those comfortable participating in politics.
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.