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Content-cum-Pedagogy of Political Science at Secondary Stage I

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Course Type Course Code No. Of Credits
Discipline Core SES102306 2

Course Coordinator and Team:                  SES Faculty

Email of course coordinator:                       pcbabed@aud.ac.in 

Pre-requisites:                                               No

Course Description:

This course introduces students to the methods and principles of teaching Political Science at the secondary level. It covers core pedagogical practices, curriculum design, and approaches to Political Science topics such as democracy, rights, governance, and citizenship. Emphasis is placed on inquiry-based and student-centered instructional techniques.

Course Objectives:

Course Outcomes:

  • Design and execute lesson plans that effectively teach Political Science concepts.
  • Utilize a range of pedagogical strategies suited to Political Science instruction.
  • Critically evaluate and adapt Political Science curricula to meet diverse student needs.

Brief Description of Modules

Module 1: Nature, Scope, and Historical Perspective of Social Sciences and Political Science 

Political science is one of the social science disciplines, and at the senior secondary school stage, a teacher often teaches it along with history, geography, and economics. This module engages with the nature, scope and history of social science and political science with reference to their object of inquiry, and their historical development as an academic subject globally and in India. It will also examine the nature of Political Science as a discipline concern with both description and analysis of state and other political institutions and processes associated with the imagination of a political community and the mechanisms associated with power, governance, and civic life. 

Module 2:  Social Science and Political Science in School Curriculum 

The key questions raised in this module are: Are the goals of a discipline as a domain of knowledge similar at the university or at school? How does an academic discipline find space in the school curriculum? Historically, Social Science at the school stage has often been called Social Studies. This module discusses how the two overlap and differ. To situate the idea of Social Science and its expectations in the recent National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, a historical overview of the recommendations and suggestions of various committees, commissions, and policies in reference to Social Sciences are also undertaken. In a former colony like India, Political Science as a school subject appeared as Civics and has been reimagined as Political Science since 2005. 

Module 3: Pedagogical approaches to teach Political Science 

This module explores diverse pedagogic approaches, such as inductive-deductive reasoning, constructivism, field visits, group activities, discovery and discussion, role play and concept mapping to teach Political Science. and interdisciplinary tailored to Political Science. Debates and project methods too will be used as effective ways to teach the subject. To introduce and engage students with diverse pedagogic approaches.

Assessment Structure:

Assessment

Weightage

Class participation and reflective reading responses

50%

Assignment 3: End-term assessment (Compare pedagogic approaches and their assumptions)

50%

References

  • Batra, P. (2010) (Ed.). Social science learning in schools: Perspective and challenges (pp. 3-41). New Delhi: Sage.
  • Gupta, D. (2016). Social Science and democracy: An elective affinity. Economic and Political Weekly 51 (4), pp. 31–37. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44003106. 
  • Shah, G. (2001). Political Science in India: A Discipline and Intellectual Pursuit. The Indian Journal of Political Science, 62(1), 11–23. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42753650  
  • Tiwari, Nidhi (2008). The lens that Social Science conferred upon me. Learning Curve, 15, pp. 131-133. https://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/657/
  • Tiwari, Nidhi (2011). सामाजिक विज्ञान के चश्मे से जो मुझे मिला. Shaikshanik Sandarbh, 75, pp. 35-42. https://www.eklavya.in/pdfs/Sandarbh/Sandarbh_75/35-42_Lens_That_Social_Science_Conferred_Upon_Me.pdf 
  • Jain, M. (2005). Social Studies and Civics: Past and present in the curriculum. Economic and Political Weekly, 40 (19), 1939-1942.
  • Kadiwal, L. & Jain, M. (2020). Civics and Citizenship Education in India and Pakistan. In: Sarangapani, P.M. & Pappu, R. (Eds.), Handbook of Education Systems in South Asia (pp. 1647-1673). Singapore: Springer Singapore.
  • Kharat, S., Beg, M. A., & Kopardekar, G. (2014). Syllabi and Textbooks of Political Science: Three Notes. Studies in Indian Politics, 2(1), 99-104. https://doi.org/10.1177/2321023014526097  
  • National Steering Committee for National Curriculum Frameworks (2023). national curriculum framework for school education (pp. 320-344). Bengaluru: National Steering Committee for National Curriculum Frameworks.
  • Sunny, Y. and Dhuru. S. (2025). Approaches to teaching social sciences: Why, what, and how? In Social Science education: Developing social scientific perspective (pp. 85-130). London and New York: Routledge.
  • Eklavya (1994). Samajik Adhyayan Shikshan Ek Prayog. Hoshangabad: Eklavya. https://www.eklavya.in/pdfs/SSTP/samajik_adhyan_shikshan.pdf  
  • Kingsbury, M. A. (2019). The Pedagogy and Benefits of Using Current Affairs Journals in Introductory International Relations Classes. Journal of Political Science Education, 17(4), 614–622. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2019.1660986
  • Rosen, A.M. (2024). Techniques for Teaching Political Science. In: Teaching Political Science: A Practical Guide for Instructors. Political Pedagogies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-58290-5_6
  • Novak, J. D. (n.d.). Concept Maps: What the heck is this? https://cf.psl.msu.edu/ctools/novak.html
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