Elizabeth Culatta, Melissa Powell-Williams, Kim Davies
{"title":"Preparing for Medical School: How Sociology Helps Premedical Students Prepare for the MCAT and beyond","authors":"Elizabeth Culatta, Melissa Powell-Williams, Kim Davies","doi":"10.1177/0092055x231169754","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055x231169754","url":null,"abstract":"Educators have recently highlighted the importance of social science courses for students entering the medical field. This has led to the inclusion of sociological theories and concepts on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), a requirement for any student seeking formal medical training. Using open-ended survey data responses provided by students who recently completed the MCAT, we explore how students perceive that sociology courses prepare them for the MCAT and their lives more generally. We find that students report that their sociology courses introduced them to key concepts and laid a foundation for material assessed on the exam, but those courses could improve by aligning with the MCAT structure by prioritizing application of concepts and critically analyzing case studies. Students also reported that sociology courses helped them develop empathy and inclusivity and use their sociological imaginations, which will ultimately positively impact their careers in the medical field and lives overall.","PeriodicalId":46942,"journal":{"name":"Teaching Sociology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42573838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Doing Sociology, Learning Objectives, and Developing Rubrics for Undergraduate Research Methods","authors":"Bhoomi K. Thakore","doi":"10.1177/0092055x231170618","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055x231170618","url":null,"abstract":"The research project assignment can create meaningful opportunities for students to apply sociological concepts. For grading these projects, assessment rubrics are useful pedagogical tools to evaluate students’ abilities in achieving course learning objectives. In this study, I analyzed final research papers collected over multiple semesters in my undergraduate Methods of Social Research course. My goals are to (1) evaluate the grading rubric’s effectiveness in enabling students to meet course objectives and (2) identify improvements in students’ outcomes from revisions to the rubric over time. Findings indicate that rubrics can provide students the information needed to apply course concepts to their work and that rubric revisions are necessary to ensure validity, reliability, and equity across grading. In conclusion, I provide suggestions for implementing a semester-long research project assignment and initiating iterative revisions to rubric criteria.","PeriodicalId":46942,"journal":{"name":"Teaching Sociology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42648197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recurring Vagueness: A Longitudinal Study of What Students Think about Sociology before, Right after, and Years after Taking the Introductory Course","authors":"Péter Miskolczi","doi":"10.1177/0092055x231169752","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055x231169752","url":null,"abstract":"The introductory course to sociology serves the multiple roles of providing students with the foundations of the field while also being its “public face” and possibly improving its image. The outcomes of introductory courses have been investigated mostly in quantitative ways in the past. The article presents a qualitative, longitudinal study of the “mental image” that 397 students of an introductory course at a Hungarian university formed about sociology. Participants were asked to draw mind maps around the central concept of “sociology” right before, right after, and years after taking the course. Results from the content analysis of mind maps indicate that while students are able to situate sociology as a science of the human world, their mental image of the field is often vague beyond that. Mind maps drawn years after taking the course bear the closest resemblance to the ones drawn even before studying it.","PeriodicalId":46942,"journal":{"name":"Teaching Sociology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45009976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Teaching the Abstract: An Evaluation of “Social Structure” in Introductory Textbooks","authors":"A. Krieg","doi":"10.1177/0092055x231165539","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055x231165539","url":null,"abstract":"There is general agreement among sociologists that teaching social structure is a core component of a sociological curriculum. Despite this agreement, there are few guides for instructors on how to teach this key concept. Using the sociological literacy framework, this research examines the most popular undergraduate Introduction to Sociology textbooks and their supplemental resources. Most texts offer a basic definition, but beyond that, there were few additional resources for helping to clarify the concept. With this in mind, additional resources for supplementing the textbooks are offered.","PeriodicalId":46942,"journal":{"name":"Teaching Sociology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48435990","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"In Defense of Doom and Gloom: Science, Sensitivity, and Mobilization in Teaching about Climate Change","authors":"Brian K. Obach","doi":"10.1177/0092055X231159094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X231159094","url":null,"abstract":"Given the profound social implications of climate change, this subject is increasingly important for a broad range of sociology classes. Sociology instructors who address the subject of climate change face a dilemma. Presenting too grim of a portrait risks fostering psychological distress and withdrawal from action to address climate change, whereas downplaying the magnitude of the crisis can provide false assurance that the situation is well in hand and that urgent action is unnecessary. I argue that educators must be sensitive in their presentation of the issue but forthright, even as the scientific evidence indicates that the social impacts of climate change are grim. This does not necessarily foster withdrawal and inaction. Social movement theory suggests that political participation is not primarily a rational pursuit based on calculated outcomes. Educators can inspire climate action by providing students with opportunities and support to do so.","PeriodicalId":46942,"journal":{"name":"Teaching Sociology","volume":"51 1","pages":"393 - 402"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44818320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Teaching with TikTok in Online Sociology of Sex and Gender Courses","authors":"Nik M. Lampe","doi":"10.1177/0092055X231159091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X231159091","url":null,"abstract":"Maintaining class participation and engagement poses a unique challenge in teaching online courses at postsecondary institutions. With the distinctive rise of online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a critical need to develop innovative and exciting opportunities in online course concept learning, application, and peer-to-peer engagement. To fulfill this need, I utilized the popular social media app TikTok to help students engage with sociological insights and concepts during course participation activities in two asynchronous, online Sociology of Sex and Gender courses at the University of South Carolina. TikTok is an online-sharing platform that allows users to create short videos with music and visual effects. TikTok can also be a valuable tool for increasing student engagement in online sociology courses. In this article, I describe this teaching activity, present findings of the preliminary teaching evaluation, and discuss the potential impact of using TikTok in online sociology courses.","PeriodicalId":46942,"journal":{"name":"Teaching Sociology","volume":"51 1","pages":"323 - 335"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41455051","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"New Resources in TRAILS: The Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology","authors":"","doi":"10.1177/0092055x231160221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055x231160221","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46942,"journal":{"name":"Teaching Sociology","volume":"51 1","pages":"208 - 209"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43466994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Book Review: The Costs of Completion: Student Success in Community College","authors":"Michelle A. Smith","doi":"10.1177/0092055X231160021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X231160021","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46942,"journal":{"name":"Teaching Sociology","volume":"51 1","pages":"202 - 204"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2023-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48661754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}