Teaching politics

This paper offers lecturers and tutors a number of reflections upon practical strategies for improving the quality of tutorial teaching in the discipline of politics. It is assumed that a great deal of relevant learning can result from active and informed student discussion in small group tutorials, and that this is a commendable educational goal. Course organization and content will be considered in relation to how they may promote conditions for critical discussion between students. Particular attention, however, is directed to group process and the topics of fear and safety, power and authority, group norms, the ‘warm up’, group discussion techniques and closure. It is argued that tutorial teaching founded upon the use and adaptation of basic principles of group process can foster more open capacities for learning among students. Notes Geoff Stokes is‐ Lecturer in the Department of Government, University of Queensland. This is a much revised version of a paper which began life as notes for a workshop presentation in the Politics Department of Flinders University, and later in the School of Humanities, Griffith University. These notes provided the basis for a paper in the ‘Teaching Politics’ section of the Australasian Political Studies Association Annual Conference at the University of New England, Annidale, August 1988. I wish to thank participants in each of these forums for their comments. I am especially grateful to Karen Gillen and an anonymous reviewer for their perceptive criticisms. Acknowledgement must also be given to Robin Maslen, Barry Heath, Max Clayton and Christopher Wainwright who, in their different ways, initiated me into the theory and practice of group process. None of the above are to be held responsible for any errors or misinterpretations

Physics · Political economy · Political process · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Process (computing · Sociology · Computer Science · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Global Education and Multiculturalism · Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences · Law

• Teaching Australian politics

  Zareh Ghazarian•Australian Journal of Political…•2015

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