Don't Argue, Reflect! Reflections on Introducing Reflective Writing into Political Science Courses
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6100676 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jim Josefson (0000-0002-3043-3267, Bridgewater College, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2005 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 763-767 |
| Publication date | 2005-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | PS Political Science & Politics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1049-0965 • E-ISSN: 1537-5935 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1049096505050274 |
| OpenAlex | W2018523831 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 17 |
In this article, I discuss an alternative way of conceptualizing and structuring essay assignments in political science courses. Generally, political science teachers have tried to encourage critical thinking about political issues by assigning essays that ask for argumentative writing. An argumentative essay format asks students to present several positions or concepts covered in a course, analyze them, and argue for their own position on the issues at hand. A better format, I suggest, is to ask students to engage in reflective writing. Reflective writing has four basic stages. First, students are asked to explain course materials. Next, they are challenged to reflect explicitly on how this material calls into question their preconceptions about the topic. Third, they analyze the conflicts, confusions, or questions that arise from engaging their preconceptions. And finally, they formulate plans to use the knowledge gained by the reflective process. In short, reflective writing invites students to search for the truth rather than develop rhetorical skills. My case for reflective writing is made here in the form of a reflective essay, so readers can take from this essay both a demonstration of the reflective process as well as an explanation. Thus, I will explore my pedagogical preconceptions and experiences with student writing, explain my initial understanding of reflective writing and my first attempt at using reflective writing in an introduction to American government course, and, finally, refine my pedagogy by analyzing the success of the assignment in light of a deeper reading of John Dewey and other theorists of reflective reasoning
Argumentative · Epistemology · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Political science · Politics · Reflective Practice · Reflective thinking · Reflective writing · Rhetorical question · Sociology · Computer Science · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences · Philosophy · Psychology · Reflective Practices in Education
Defining Reflection
Development of a Questionnaire to Measure the Level of Reflective Thinking
Civic Education
Encouraging the Better Angels
It's a Small World
Service Learning in College Political Science
A Question and an Argument
Theorizing Citizenship and Evaluating Public Achievement
Teaching Process and Product
Enlivening Political Science Courses with Kolb's Learning Preference Model
| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,39 |
| Citation span | 2008 - 2025 (18) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |