A Multi-Method Approach to the Future of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Since the establishment of the Journal of Political Science Education (JPSE) in 2004, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning has become more rigorous and data-based, thanks in large part to the efforts of editors, peer-reviewers, and submitters to the journal. Where does the field go from here? I argue that our greatest strengths lie in multimethod approaches. To best understand how to improve teaching and learning in political science, we need to use all of our methodological tools. To illustrate these tools, I provide examples of some of the most-cited pieces in JPSE over the past 20 years, including ones using large-n statistical, experimental, case study, student self-report, qualitative evaluation, and reflective methodologies. I also provide examples of multimethod SoTL work and argue that the best way to move the field forward is to use multiple methodological tools together. Multimethod approaches help us better understand both the teaching problems that are facing the field of political science today and how best to respond to them. For instance, big data can help us understand overall trends, but may hide the individual experiences of students; experiments may reveal causal relationships, but surveys can help us understand how they function in practice. By bringing multiple methodological approaches together, we can get better answers to important questions. The widespread adoption of multimethod SoTL approaches in the future will require rethinking graduate school training, thoughtful research design, and providing intentional collaboration opportunities through conferences and infrastructure.

Keywords:

• Multimethod research
• collaborative research
• SoTL
• JPSE 20th Anniversary

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The metric employed for this research is the citation score provided for each article on the journal website. This score provides a measure of the visibility of the article in the discipline. While some articles may be read but not cited, leading them to be undercounted by this measure, this score is a useful measure of what the field of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning values. Additionally, the score takes into account downloads and social media shares which, although weighted far less than citations, do contribute to the visibility of an article.

2 The data presented in Table 1 come only from articles published in the Journal of Political Science Education. This methodological choice was made because this research was done for the 20th Anniversary Special Issue of the journal. Research that examined articles from other journals that publish SoTL work may find different results. Additionally, research examining articles that are submitted, but not published, may also find different results. The focus of this research is on the visibility of work published in JPSE over the past 20 years.

3 Comparisons of the summer course offerings of these programs can be found at their respective websites. ECPR: https://ecpr.eu/SummerSchool; ICPSR: https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/pages/sumprog/; and IQMR: https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/research/center-for-qualitative-and-multi-method-inquiry/institute-for-qualitative-multi-method-research/modules.

4 You can listen to the podcast episode at this link: https://teachinginhighered.com/podcast/engaging-students-through-collaborative-research-projects/.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rebecca A. Glazier

Rebecca A. Glazier is a political science professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She studies religion and politics, US foreign policy, and political communication. She is the Director of the Little Rock Congregations Study, a long-term, community-based research project on religion and community engagement. She is the author of Faith and Community: How Engagement Strengthens Members, Places of Worship, and Society (Temple University Press, 2024). Additionally, Dr. Glazier is active in the scholarship of teaching and learning and is the author of Connecting in the Online Classroom: Building Rapport between Teachers and Students (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021). More information about her research is available on her website: http://www.rebeccaglazier.net/.