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Toward a Pedagogy of Hope for the Political Science Classroom.

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Title: Toward a Pedagogy of Hope for the Political Science Classroom.
Authors: Matesan, Ioana Emy1 (AUTHOR) imatesan@wesleyan.edu
Source: Journal of Political Science Education. Apr-Jun2026, Vol. 22 Issue 2, p217-232. 16p.
Subject Terms: *Political science education, *Education methodology, *Classroom activities, *Self-efficacy in students, *Student development, *Study skills, Agency theory
Abstract: There is a growing sense of hopelessness among college students. Rather than being apathetic or uninformed, students are often acutely aware of major political and societal issues confronting them, but perceive these problems as overwhelming, and are demoralized into inaction. This article proposes a pedagogy of hope that encompasses multiple aspects of teaching, from course design to classroom activities and student feedback. The framework suggested identifies eight guiding principles, and relates them to pedagogical goals and concrete classroom applications. This approach underlines the importance of syllabi that are inclusive and have a clear arc, theories of agency, successful case studies, stories of human resilience, practices that empower students, and assignments that offer students opportunities for growth and that help students envision alternatives and solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Political Science Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Toward a Pedagogy of Hope for the Political Science Classroom.
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  Data: There is a growing sense of hopelessness among college students. Rather than being apathetic or uninformed, students are often acutely aware of major political and societal issues confronting them, but perceive these problems as overwhelming, and are demoralized into inaction. This article proposes a pedagogy of hope that encompasses multiple aspects of teaching, from course design to classroom activities and student feedback. The framework suggested identifies eight guiding principles, and relates them to pedagogical goals and concrete classroom applications. This approach underlines the importance of syllabi that are inclusive and have a clear arc, theories of agency, successful case studies, stories of human resilience, practices that empower students, and assignments that offer students opportunities for growth and that help students envision alternatives and solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Political Science Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=193123293
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      – SubjectFull: Education methodology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Classroom activities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self-efficacy in students
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      – SubjectFull: Student development
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      – SubjectFull: Study skills
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              Text: Apr-Jun2026
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