001488083 001__ 1488083
001488083 005__ 20240725092952.0
001488083 037__ $$aIR
001488083 041__ $$aeng
001488083 245__ $$aInteractive Assignments in Social Science Research Methods Courses
001488083 269__ $$a2024-02-14
001488083 500__ $$aLightning Presentation.
001488083 520__ $$aMost social science disciplines, including criminal justice, sociology, psychology, and political science, require students to take a course on research methods. In my experience advising students and teaching research methods, students are often not excited to take this course – or even dread taking it (see Briggs et al., 2009; Macheski et al., 2008). However, research methods are a critical component of social science education. The results of social science research are utilized in every class we teach and help us gain a better understanding of complex human behavior. Understanding that every research method has strengths and weaknesses allows students to see nuances in reported results they read in textbooks, journal articles, and other sources. Given how important a firm grounding in research methodology is for students in the social sciences, it is imperative that they fully engage in the content of their research methods class. To accomplish this, I have students in my research methods classes act as researchers to practice various components of research methodologies. Having students actively involved in the research process can help increase student interest and understanding of research methods (Baxter & Ely, 2020; Macheski et al., 2008; Pfeffer & Rogalin, 2012). In this lightning presentation, I will discuss four assignments that I regularly use that provide the opportunity   for students to be researchers and to gain research experience. The four assignments are: 1) a survey assignment in which they propose a topic, an independent variable, a dependent variable, and one other variable, and write a hypothesis, followed by writing example survey questions to measure those variables; 2) an interview assignment in which students design the study, including their research topic or statement, their population and sample size, how they will conduct the interviews, and their estimate of interview length, followed by an interview protocol that consists of a short script, any notes they might need, and an interview guide with questions; 3) a field observation assignment in which students observe a location for 50 minutes, taking in-depth field notes, then typing those notes and writing a short paper about the patterns they observed; and 4) a content analysis assignment in which students practice thematic coding by using the most recent 50 photos on their phone, grouping the photos into categories, and writing a short paper about their categories, with two photo examples per category. The goal is for other faculty teaching research methods courses to consider assignments that engage students to better increase interest in and understanding of research methods. I will provide handouts for the assignments I use so that others can use them or modify them for their own classes.
001488083 6531_ $$aresearch methods
001488083 6531_ $$asurveys
001488083 6531_ $$afield observation
001488083 6531_ $$acontent analysis
001488083 7001_ $$aStacer, Melissa$$uUniversity of Southern Indiana
001488083 711__ $$a8th Celebration of Teaching and Learning Symposium$$cUniversity of Southern Indiana$$uCenter for Excellence in Teaching and Learning$$d2024-02-14
001488083 980__ $$aT&L SYMPO
001488083 998__ $$aBaxter, D.N. & Ely, K. (2020). Research in action: Student perceptions of active learning in criminal justice research courses. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 31(1), 141-154.
001488083 998__ $$aBriggs, L.T. Brown, S.E., Gardner, R.B., & Davidson, R.L. (2009). D.RA.MA: An extended conceptualization of student anxiety in criminal justice research methods courses. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 20(3), 217-226.
001488083 998__ $$aMacheski, G.E., Lowney, K.S., Buhrmann, J., & Bush, M.E.L. (2008). Overcoming student disengagement and anxiety in theory, methods, and statistics courses by building a community of learners. Teaching Sociology 36(1), 42-48.
001488083 998__ $$aPfeffer, C. A., & Rogalin, C. L. (2012). Teaching note: Three strategies for teaching research methods: A case study. Teaching Sociology, 40(4), 368-376.