The disciplinary scholarship of teaching and learning in political science and international relations: methods, topics, and impact

Abstract

Within the disciplines of political science and International Relations, rich debates around pedagogy have crystallized into a robust set of scholarly institutions. This review article analyzes the current state of the disciplinary scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) by canvassing the field’s journals where SoTL research is published and situating current developments within the broader SoTL ecosystem. We analyze the growth of publications, methodological and topical trends in the literature, and assess the scientometric impact of these debates. Moving forward, we call on these debates to methodologically prioritize rich expressions of student voice and to promote further collaborative practices in SoTL research.

The “UFO Taboo” Is What IR Theorists Make of It: “Sovereignty and the UFO” in Citational Perspective

“…8 All research articles (not book reviews or editorial items) with “Sovereignty” in the title were collected and GS citation rates were collected. To ensure consistency and comparability, all GS citation data were collected within the same refresh cycle ( Murphy et al, 2023 , p. 5). 9…”

Reflections on disciplinary perspectives on students as partners

“…Disciplines vary in their interest in SaP. For example, there is an extensive SaP literature in health professional education (Barradell & Bell, 2021) and academic development (Healey & Healey, 2019), whereas a review of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) literature in political science and international relations found only two journal articles about SaP (Murphy, 2023). 1 Tentative mapping of the SaP discipline-based literature against the Healey et al (2014) model, which identifies four overlapping foci for SaP work in learning and teaching in Healey, M., .…”

“…In health professional education, SaP is largely published in discipline-based journals (Barradell & Bell, 2021); whereas in political science and international relations, the few SaP journal articles published are in generic education journals (Murphy et al, 2023) or edited books (Smith & Yahlnaaw, 2021). Geographers publishing about SaP seek a variety of discipline-based journals (e.g., Hill et al, 2021), generic education journals (e.g., Healey & France, 2022), and book chapters (e.g., Moore-Cherry, 2019).…”