Kehittämishankkeet
University of Helsinki
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
16.8.2001
Self-evaluation of the Quality of Education
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Introduction
The history of political science at the University of Helsinki goes back to 1921, when the discipline was first taught at the Faculty of Arts. Since the establishment of the Faculty of Social Sciences in 1945, political science - being one of the largest disciplines in the Faculty - has played a central role in the implementation of the Faculty’s educational mission. For example, between 1998 and 2000, about 18-19 per cent of undergraduate students and 22-25 per cent of Master’s level graduates from the Faculty came from the Department of Political Science.
Unlike the departments of political science at other Finnish universities, the Department of Political Science at the University of Helsinki offers teaching not only in political science proper, but also in administrative studies and international relations. The areas of emphasis in teaching have varied from time to time, but, as a rule, teaching has always been based research on political institutions and organisations, and on social movements and behaviour, both at the national and international levels. Teaching has adopted a markedly theoretical approach to social phenomena, which are examined primarily from the perspective of power. As globalization has blurred the boundaries between public and private, as well as national and international organisations, the need for education in political science is becoming increasingly pronounced. The ability to analyse power relationships in an increasingly networked world and to recognise these relationships in one’s own environment is an important factor in the success of graduates on the labour market and in society at large.
Aims of teaching and planning of studies
The general objective of teaching is to acquaint students with the knowledge, skills and values inherent in political science. In practise, this means that studies promote the development of general professional, or transferable, skills as part of the student’s personal growth process.
The knowledge-related aim of teaching is to provide students with a thorough competence in their own field. Students will obtain a solid, wide-ranging education in political science, with an emphasis on an understanding of different political cultures. The fairly extensive choice of elective studies ensures students the opportunity to specialise in fields of their own interest.
The skills-related aim of teaching is to introduce students to the basics of scientific research methodology. Of essential importance is the ability to think in abstract terms, to recognise connections between phenomena and to understand the logic and methodology of scientific thinking. This ability provides a basis for the competence to assess the value and validity of scientific knowledge and other information. The above capacities, combined with the development of expertise in one’s own field, result in analytical skills and capability for continuous learning, which are highly valued qualities in working life. Surveys that have been conducted to help in the development of teaching have shown that graduates with a major in political science, when asked to indicate the most valuable ability that they acquired during their studies, named the ability to analyse information. Skills in research methodology are developed through the reinforcement of learning skills and various instrumental skills, such as skills in information technology, languages and communication.
The values-related aim of teaching emphasises the significance of ethical choices both in the production of research information and in the practices of international and multicultural professions. The aim is to integrate the approaches typical of scientific thinking - evaluating new information and doubting old truths - to teaching and studies at all levels. This principle is realised in academic teaching which emphasises cooperative skills, creativeness, criticism, responsibility and the willingness to adapt to change.
Efficient learning takes place through the student’s own work and thought processes. The purpose of teaching is to support student-centred learning. However, learning must also be understood as a process where the student-teacher relationship and emphasis of the various aims of teaching change according to the level of studies. At some stages, it is appropriate to use teacher-centred teaching methods. In basic studies students are introduced to the field and its problems, their interest in research is aroused and they are provided with an over-all knowledge of political science. Intermediate studies require greater independence as different research orientations are assessed and research work is practised. At the advanced level, students, as their studies progress further, adopt a researcher-oriented approach and their self-confidence is strengthened in consultations which take place on an equal basis with their supervisors.
The planning of the curriculum is done in accordance with the collective objectives and the different qualities of the teachers. The general guidelines for teaching are drawn up in departmental development seminars. The “coffee breaks” (laitoskahvit in Finnish) organised by the students are an informal forum where teaching-related issues are discussed. Reforms of the curriculum are prepared in working groups which include student representatives. The planning and development of each study module is the responsibility of specifically assigned staff members. Each course instructor gives the final meaning to the various elements of the requirements through the teaching provided in the classroom. The diversity of teaching orientations supports the realisation of the knowledge, skills and values-related aims of education.
The planning of teaching at the Department works fairly well, but there is room for improvement in the way students are kept informed of the aims of teaching. Special attention should be paid to presenting and emphasising concrete course-specific aims. Unfortunately, the large number of hourly paid teachers somewhat complicates coordination efforts. The Department is striving to remedy the situation by requiring all teachers to draw up detailed course descriptions and to clearly specify the aims of teaching.
Another problem requiring special attention is the increasing amount of outside studies that need to be recognised in view of the increase in the number of exchange students and degree students coming from various backgrounds. The recognition of credits completed elsewhere may compromise the implementation of the Department’s own educational aims. To prevent this, teaching cooperation with foreign partner universities is under development.
Aims of teaching and implementation of the curriculum
From the 1970s until the late 1990s, the teaching of political science at the University of Helsinki was characterised by the sharp division of the field into the areas of national politics (political science proper), international relations and administrative studies. Since 1999, the Department has made conscious efforts to bring these subfields closer together. Within the framework of the so-called “intersection teaching” project, one of the most central challenges of the Department has been the integration of the study of national and international, political and administrative, phenomena in teaching, and the application of theories stemming from various traditions in one and the same course. The “intersection teaching” project has supported the revision of knowledge-related aims of teaching both from the perspective of changing research objects and of changes in the demands of the labour market.
The values-related cultural competence of the students has been strengthened by emphasising an international orientation in teaching and studies. The Department has put a lot of effort into international student and teacher exchanges, and at the moment, it has cooperation agreements with 18 universities under the Erasmus Programme of the European Union. In addition, students participate in exchanges through the Nordplus programme (12 departments in the Nordic countries) and exchange programmes of the University of Helsinki. The Department of Political Science is one of the few departments in the whole country which fulfils the internationalisation criteria set by the Ministry of Education. Since the early 1990s, the number of both incoming and outgoing exchange students has grown significantly: in 1995, the Department hosted eight foreign exchange students, and in 2000, their number had grown to 33. In the same year, the Department sent out 41 exchange students (which accounts for about 30 per cent of all outgoing students at the Faculty).
Since 1999, the Department has hosted two or three visiting teachers every year from partner universities abroad (Brunel in Britain, Leuven in Belgium and Nijmegen in the Netherlands), and correspondingly, teachers from the Department have visited the partner universities. This enables teachers to learn from the teaching practices of other countries. Good experiences have also been gained from active memberships in European organisations in the field of political and administrative research, i.e. memberships in the European Political Science Network (EPSNet), European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), European Public Administration Network (EPAN) and European Group of Public Administration (EGPA).
The trend toward internationalisation at the Department can most concretely be seen in the large number of courses organised in English. Every year, the Department organises about 80-90 courses, of which 22 were taught in English last year (in the academic year 1990-91 the number of courses offered in English was three, and seven in 1995-96.) The number of courses with English as the language of instruction offered by the Department of Political Science is double or even three-fold compared with the other departments of the Faculty. Every year, about 12-16 foreign degree students are admitted into the Department, the highest number in the entire Faculty.
A degree in political science can also be completed in Swedish, as the department has one professorship with Swedish as the language of instruction. In addition, the Swedish School of Social Science has a department of public administration; every year, about ten students with a Bachelor’s degree from this institution enter the Department of Political Science to pursue the Master’s degree. Instruction in Swedish has been carried out in cooperation between the two departments. As the number of Swedish-speaking students is low, the Department cannot, however, offer a wide range of optional courses in Swedish on its own.
In response to the changing needs of the labour market, the Department has been a pioneering force in the establishment of several multidisciplinary minor subject programmes. These are founded on the Department’s own research interests, but are also interdisciplinary in nature and thus best to be carried out in cooperation with other departments. In 1995, the Faculty set up a programme in international careers, a programme in leadership and management studies was launched in 1999, and in 2001, a programme in EU studies. The Department of Political Science coordinates all these minor subject programmes, which offer students from every faculty of the University of Helsinki the opportunity to gain an advantage on the labour market with versatile minor subject studies.
Teaching methods have been modernised by the introduction of new teaching and information technologies. In 1999, the Department embarked on developing the introductory course in political science into an interactive learning situation by experimenting with online technology in a course with 150-200 students. A chat site and www-pages were created for the course. The experiment yielded good results and the course has been developed further. Actually, today, courses commonly have their own www-pages. The use of information technology in teaching has progressed to the development of interactive online course books for the introductory course in political science and the course on the Finnish political system.
In order to improve learning results, the Department has been actively increasing the proportion of small group and multiform teaching since 1994. These forms of teaching have replaced traditional set book examinations, which students mostly complete on an individual basis. The development of theoretical skills is supported primarily by larger study modules that include lectures, seminars and essays. A good example is the present introductory course to political science - even though the course is carried out in the form of “mass lectures”, students are required to write a paper based on independent work. End-of-course examinations are increasingly being replaced by written assignments requiring students not only to discuss the contents of the lectures, but also to consult research published in the field. In lecture series given by visiting experts students keep a co-called lecture diary, in which they note down the central points of the lectures and critically compare the contents of lectures given by the experts from the point of view of their own learning process. In advanced studies, the planning of an individual study programme in cooperation with a teacher furthers the same learning objectives. The Department attempts to engage advanced students in its ongoing research projects, and thus integrate teaching with research. In small group teaching and individual supervision good results have been achieved as regards student-centred learning methods and the development of the students’ instrumental skills (cooperative skills, learning skills, communication skills).
However, increasing the range of choices is not without problems. The attempts to create a versatile teaching programme and to offer students opportunities for individual choices has, in part, led to a situation in which the Department is dependent on visiting expert lecturers who are available only on a temporary basis. One of the future challenges of the Department is to expand personnel resources to match the range of choices required by the degree programme. Finding the right balance between a scientific education and the qualification demands of the labour market is a major challenge for the development of teaching. The Department will meet these challenges by careful strategic planning and development of the internal post structure and job descriptions. At the same time, teachers are encouraged to engage in professional development and exploration of new research orientations by offering them opportunities to alternate between teaching and research with the limited resources the Department has for the purpose.
To some extent, the Department’s problems are due to the student-teacher ratio, which in recent years for undergraduate students has been about 50 students per one teacher. When postgraduate students are included in the calculations, the ratio is 60 students per one teacher, and with the inclusion of minor subject students, the ratio can be estimated to be 76 students per one teacher. Consequently, the Department has been forced to reserve small group teaching primarily for major subject students. Also, advanced students’ access to research projects at the Department has been limited, for intensive teaching takes resources from research. Large student numbers lead to the problem of the availability of course literature. As the Finnish study system does not require students to acquire their own books, and library services are insufficient in this respect, the Department has been forced to design courses where teaching, written exercises and course material packages substitute for most of the course literature.
Implementation of postgraduate education
The Department’s strong focus on education leading to the Master of Social Sciences degree, which is an undergraduate-level degree in Finland, has unfortunately led to a situation in which teaching resources are insufficient at the postgraduate level. Postgraduate education has mostly followed the German and French models, in which postgraduate students are allowed to decide fairly independently on the contents of their studies, instead of having to participate in a pre-scheduled postgraduate degree programme as is the case in, for example, Ireland and Sweden. However, at the University of Helsinki postgraduate studies include a 35-credit postgraduate study programme. The implementation of this study programme has not functioned particularly well, for some postgraduate students work outside the academic community and, consequently, their input to studies varies. About 100 students are currently pursuing postgraduate studies at the Department, but only a few of them will ever finish their degree. In the 1990s, the annual number of persons who graduated with the Licentiate of Social Sciences degree from the Department of Political Science ranged between one and ten, and an average of two to six Doctor of Social Sciences degree-holders graduated each year.
The situation has been somewhat alleviated by the establishment of doctoral programmes (“graduate schools”), which took place in Finland in the 1990s. The doctoral programme system enables the most talented postgraduate students to pursue full-time studies. The Department of Political Science participates in three doctoral programmes: the Graduate School for Political Science and International Relations, the Graduate School Consortium in the Administrative Sciences, and the Graduate School for Russian and East European Studies. The postgraduate students in these doctoral programmes form the core group and participate in various courses as well as in Finnish and international meetings. The students may substitute required studies by writing articles for scientific journals. In order to contribute to the development of postgraduate studies, the Department has established supervision groups that increase interaction. These groups consist of the student’s primary supervisor and of two assistant supervisors. Distinguished researchers or experts in the field who do not work at the Department may also be named as assistant supervisors. Swedish-speaking postgraduate students participate in regular meetings of researchers from the Åbo Akademi University, the Unit of Ostrobothnia at the Åbo Akademi University and Mid Sweden University.
Due to the scarcity of teaching resources, the Department has aimed in recent years to reduce the number of postgraduate students by tightening the requirements (i.e., requiring a higher grade for the Master’s thesis and a good research plan) for admission to postgraduate education. On the other hand, the Department wishes to enable persons who are already in working life to participate in postgraduate education, for through them, it may establish contacts with the rest of society and gain expertise from a variety of social sectors. In fact, one of the objectives of postgraduate education is to offer the opportunity, in accordance with the traditional principle of academic freedom, to participate in postgraduate studies that are independent of the orientations of researchers working at the Department.
Academic guidance
The Department of Political Science was the first in the Faculty of Social Sciences to initiate teacher tutoring in 1983, with the objective of establishing a close connection, lasting from the basic studies to the advanced studies, between the teacher tutor and the student being tutored. The practice did not, however, function particularly well due to the high turnover of staff and a growth in student numbers, which is why tutoring is now focused on the first year of study. On the other hand, individual guidance has been integrated into most courses through the expansion of small group and multiform teaching.
As of the beginning of 2000, special attention has been paid to the supervision of Master’s theses. The intensified thesis supervision project is part of a Ministry of Education project which will continue until the end of 2003. The objective of this project is to examine factors that hinder the progress of studies by arranging a survey of the supervision and grading of Master’s theses, conducting telephone interviews concerning the employment situation of persons who have graduated with a Master of Social Sciences degree from the Department of Political Science, and examining supervision practices abroad. The collected materials will be analysed each year in order to provide a basis for developing supervision and grading. In addition, a mailing list for all students writing their Master’s thesis at the Department has been established; this mailing list acts as an open discussion forum and a tool for clarifying questions related to thesis writing. Moreover, a supervision system has been created that includes assistant supervisors to support thesis writers and to enable the Department to put to use, as effectively as possible, the versatile expertise of its teachers and researchers.
Evaluation and development of learning and teaching
The evaluation of learning has been planned so as to correspond with the student-oriented approach embraced by teachers at the Department. Evaluation methods include examinations, methodological exercises, written assignments, seminar presentations and Master’s theses. Oral examinations, used on some courses, are particularly well-suited for evaluating learning.
Course evaluations usually consist of feedback discussions and anonymous feedback forms filled in by students at the end of courses (such forms may also be filled in anonymously on the Internet). Since 1998, hourly paid teachers have also used the Department’s feedback form and reported on the results. However, student feedback has often been fairly superficial. Students do not always have the energy to put their mind to filling in the feedback form at the end of each course. The feedback given in the forms has focused on teachers’ work, not on students’ own learning experiences. The form has been deemed most useful in connection with new courses only beginning to take shape. Student evaluations have also functioned better on courses where a course-specific feedback form has been used and evaluation has concentrated on students’ own learning experiences. Peer evaluations have also been used, with the students engaging in a detailed evaluation task when producing written evaluations of each others’ study performance. Students have analysed, in writing, how study processes have corresponded to the requirements set for them, analysing at the same time their own learning. In the future, the evaluation of teaching should mostly take place through course-specific evaluation forms and evaluation discussions. It must also be noted that teachers are often more critical of their own instruction than students.
The evaluation of Master’s thesis supervision has received particular attention. In connection with their graduation, all students of the Department of Political Science are sent a questionnaire examining, among other things, the supervision received when writing a thesis. Teaching is also evaluated by analysing the graduates’ employment situation on the basis of statistical data and interviews carried out by the Department. Moreover, the Department has begun to develop its alumni activities to maintain contacts with working life and obtain information on the changing requirements of the labour market.
Strengths of the Department and development challenges of education
The Department’s strengths include the comprehensive, versatile, topical and international nature of its teaching. Moreover, the Department has actively experimented with different teaching methods and evaluated its teaching, the learning processes of its students and the results of studies. Increasing attention is being paid to the supervision of thesis writing. The Department and its staff have also received various awards for the efforts to systematically develop teaching. The Department has twice (in 1996 and 2000) been named a candidate for a national centre of excellence in teaching. These candidacies led to the Department being recognised by the University of Helsinki for its teaching of exceptionally high quality (as one of eight departments receiving such recognition). In 1998, the award for developing teaching in the Faculty of Social Sciences was presented to a teacher of the Department of Political Science. The Department also received praise in the national evaluation of English-language teaching in 1998-1999. One manifestation of the Department’s continuous efforts to develop its operations is the success it has enjoyed in competing within the Faculty for allocations reserved for the development of teaching.
The problems affecting teaching are due partly to a lack of resources, partly to current studying practices at the University and partly to coordination difficulties at the Department. It is difficult for the Department to directly influence resource-related problems and general studying practices, but it is able to develop its own strategic planning and coordination of teaching.
The Department will continue to pursue the projects on the development of teaching it has already initiated (including the so-called “intersection teaching” project, the intensified supervision of theses and the development of multidisciplinary study modules). Special attention will be paid to the following three fields:
1) Use of new technology in teaching. The effective use of the opportunities provided by new teaching technologies requires coordinated development. The objective is to develop a system that functions as an aid in teaching and learning at all stages of studies.
2) Reinvigoration of postgraduate education. The Department will promote, in particular, teachers’ opportunities to carry out research and will aim to connect these research efforts with postgraduate education. The changes to the degree structure caused by the application of the Bologna Declaration will also force the Department to rethink the relationship between undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
3) Intensification and expansion of teaching cooperation with foreign and Finnish universities. The Department aims to ensure that its teaching objectives be achieved by acquiring information on the practices of other universities so as to avoid the recognition- and transfer-related problems caused by the increasing internationalisation of teaching. The Department will initiate an examination of the nature of studies in political science and of the correspondence of studies at various Finnish and foreign universities.
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