Advanced undergraduate students struggle with executing complete research projects that involve data collection and analysis. Research indicates that engaging in undergraduate research is a high-impact practice. The American Sociological Association recommends that sociology majors engage in research beyond their research methods and statistics courses. We used a pre-/post-assessment model across three semesters in all upper-level undergraduate sociology courses at our institution. The assessment measured confidence, knowledge, and experience with research methods. Fifty-eight students completed at least one pre-/post-assessment pair. Of those, 27 students completed two pre-/post-assessments. No students completed three pre-/post-assessments. We find that experience and confidence had statistically significant increases at each survey point. Knowledge increased but was statistically significant for only two groups: the full sample on the first post-assessment (N = 58) and the students with two assessment pairs on their second post-assessment (N = 27) who participated across two semesters.
BachRebeccaWeinzimmerJulianne. 2011. “Exploring the Benefits of Community-Based Research in a Sociology of Sexualities Course.” Teaching Sociology39(1):57–72.
2.
BallooKieranPauliReginaWorrellMarcia. 2016. “Individual Differences in Psychology Undergraduates’ Development of Research Methods Knowledge and Skills.” Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences217:790–800.
3.
BartholomayDaniel J.2018. “Making Room for Methods: Incorporating Full-Scale Research Projects in Non-methods Courses.” Teaching Sociology46(3):247–61.
4.
BrewAngelaMantaiLilia. 2017. “Academics’ Perceptions of the Challenges and Barriers to Implementing Research-Based Experiences for Undergraduates.” Teaching in Higher Education22(5):551–68.
5.
BurdetteAmy M.McLoughlinKerry. 2010. “Using Census Data in the Classroom to Increase Quantitative Literacy and Promote Critical Sociological Thinking.” Teaching Sociology38(3):247–57.
6.
BurgessRobert G.1990. “British Sociological Association Presidential Address 1990: Sociologists, Training and Research.” Sociology24(4):579–95.
7.
EarleyMark A.2014. “Teaching in Higher Education a Synthesis of the Literature on Research Methods Education.” Teaching in Higher Education19(3):242–53.
8.
FergusonSusan J.2016. “The Center Does Hold: The Sociological Literacy Framework.” Teaching Sociology44(3):163–76.
9.
GarnerMarkWagnerClaireKawulichBarbara. 2009. “Introduction: Towards a Pedagogical Culture in Research Methods.” Pp. 1–10 in Teaching Research Methods in the Social Sciences, edited by GarnerM.WagnerC.KawulichB.Burlington, VT: Ashgate.
10.
GhoshalRaj. 2018. “Testing for Discrimination: Teaching Audit Studies in Quantitative Methods Courses.” Teaching Sociology46(4):309–23.
11.
GrayClaireTurnerRebeccaSuttonCarolePetersenCarolynStevensSebastianSwainJulieEsmondBillSchofieldCathyThackerayDemelza Kate. 2015. “Research Methods Teaching in Vocational Environments: Developing Critical Engagement with Knowledge?”Journal of Vocational Education and Training67(3):274–93.
12.
Healey-EttenVictoriaSharpShane. 2010. “Teaching Beginning Undergraduates How to Do an In-depth Interview: A Teaching Note with 12 Handy Tips.” Teaching Sociology38(2):157–65.
13.
HowardCosmoBradyMichelle. 2015. “Teaching Social Research Methods after the Critical Turn: Challenges and Benefits of a Constructivist Pedagogy.” International Journal of Social Research Methodology18(5):511–25.
14.
HoweryCarla B.RodriguezHavidan. 2006. “Integrating Data Analysis (IDA): Working with Sociology Departments to Address the Quantitative Literacy Gap.” Teaching Sociology34(1):23–38.
KainEdward L.1999. “Building the Sociological Imagination through a Cumulative Curriculum: Professional Socialization in Sociology.” Teaching Sociology27(1):1–16.
17.
KilburnDanielNindMelanieWilesRose. 2014. “Learning as Researchers and Teachers: The Development of a Pedagogical Culture for Social Science Research Methods?”British Journal of Educational Studies62(2):191–207.
18.
Kozimor-KingMichelePrinceBarbara. 2018. “A Collaborative Affair: Connecting Students with the Community through Research.” Pp. 56–70 in Learning from Each Other: Refining the Practice of Teaching in Higher Education, edited by Kozimor-KingM. L.ChinJ.Oakland: University of California Press.
19.
LewthwaiteSarahNindMelanie. 2016. “Teaching Research Methods in the Social Sciences: Expert Perspectives on Pedagogy and Practice.” British Journal of Educational Studies64(4):1–18.
20.
MacheskiGinger E.LowneyKathleen S.BuhrmannJanBushMelanie E. L.2008. “Overcoming Student Disengagement and Anxiety in Theory, Methods, and Statistics Courses by Building a Community of Learners.” Teaching Sociology36(1):42–48.
21.
MantheiJenniferIslerJonathan. 2011. “Co-teaching Social Research Methods in a Joint Sociology/Anthropology Department.” Issues in Integrative Studies29:40–66.
22.
MarkhamWilliam T.1991. “Research Methods in the Introductory Course: To Be or Not to Be?”Teaching Sociology19(4):464–71.
23.
MarkleGail. 2017. “Factors Influencing Achievement in Undergraduate Social Science Research Methods Courses: A Mixed Methods Analysis.” Teaching Sociology45(2):105–15.
24.
MayerBrianBlumeAmeliaBlackCandaceStevensSally. 2019. “Improving Student Learning Outcomes through Community-Based Research: The Poverty Workshop.” Teaching Sociology47(2):135–47.
25.
Medley-RathStephanie. 2021. “North Central Sociological Association 2020 John F. Schnabel Lecture: Missed Opportunities: Developing Undergraduate Students’ Sociological Research Skills Throughout the Curriculum.” Sociological Focus54(1):9–18.
26.
MurtonenMari. 2015. “University Students’ Understanding of the Concepts Empirical, Theoretical, Qualitative and Quantitative Research.” Teaching in Higher Education20(7):684–98.
27.
MurtonenMariLehtinenErno. 2003. “Difficulties Experienced by Education and Sociology Students in Quantitative Methods Courses.” Studies in Higher Education28(2):171–85.
28.
NindMelanieKilburnDanielLuffRebekah. 2015. “The Teaching and Learning of Social Research Methods: Developments in Pedagogical Knowledge.” International Journal of Social Research Methodology18(5):455–61.
29.
PaapWarren R.1977. “Analyzing Qualitative Data in Short-Term Class Projects.” Teaching Sociology4(4):333–56.
30.
PeyrefitteMagaliLazarGillian. 2018. “Student-Centered Pedagogy and Real-World Research: Using Documents as Sources of Data in Teaching Social Science Skills and Methods.” Teaching Sociology46(1):62–74.
31.
PikeDiane L.CiabattariTeresaMessineoMelindaMonsonRenee A.SalamRifat A.WagenaarTheodore C.ChinJeffrey, et al. 2017. The Sociology Major in the Changing Landscape of Higher Education: Curriculum, Careers, and Online Learning. Washington DC: American Sociological Association.
32.
ReidMatt. 2018. “Lost Letters: Using the Lost-Letter Technique to Teach Social Research Methods.” Teaching Sociology46(4):356–63.
33.
RosenJeffrey A.PorterStephen R.RogersJim. 2017. “Understanding Student Self-reports on Academic Performance and Course-Taking Behavior.” AERA Open3(2):1–14.
34.
RossKarenCall-CummingsMeagan. 2020. “Reflections on Failure: Teaching Research Methodology.” International Journal of Research and Method in Education43(5):498–511.
35.
SchmidThomas J.1992. “Classroom-Based Ethnography: A Research Pedagogy.” Teaching Sociology20(1):28–35.
36.
SenterMary S.Spalter-RothRobertaVan VoorenNicole. 2015. Jobs, Careers and Sociological Skills: The Early Employment Experiences of 2012 Sociology Majors. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association.
37.
ShostakSaraCorralMargaritaWardAnn G.WillettAlex. 2019. “Integrating Community-Based Research into a Senior Capstone Seminar: Lessons Learned from a Mixed-Methods Study.” Teaching Sociology47(3):191–203.
SweetStephenMcElrathKevinKainEdward L.2014. “The Coordinated Curriculum: How Institutional Theory Can Be Used to Catalyze Revision of the Sociology Major.” Teaching Sociology42(4):287–97.
40.
TakataSusan R.LeitingWanda. 1987. “Learning by Doing: The Teaching of Sociological Research Methods.” Teaching Sociology15(2):144–50.
41.
WagnerClaireGarnerMarkKawulichBarbara. 2011. “The State of the Art of Teaching Research Methods in the Social Sciences: Towards a Pedagogical Culture.” Studies in Higher Education36(1):75–88.
42.
WeissGregory L.1987. “Using a Local Research Center to Enhance the Teaching of Research Methodology.” Teaching Sociology15(2):191–94.
43.
WilderEsther Isabelle. 2010. “A Qualitative Assessment of Efforts to Integrate Data Analysis throughout the Sociology Curriculum: Feedback from Students, Faculty, and Alumni.” Teaching Sociology38(3):226–46.
44.
WilliamsMalcolmSloanLukeCheungSin YiSuttonCaroleStevensSebastianRunhamLibby. 2016. “Can’t Count or Won’t Count? Embedding Quantitative Methods in Substantive Sociology Curricula: A Quasi-experiment.” Sociology50(3):435–52.
45.
ZablotskyDiane. 2001. “Why Do I Have to Learn This If I’m Not Going to Graduate School? Teaching Research Methods in a Social Psychology of Aging Course.” Educational Gerontology27(7):609–22.
