Researching undergraduate social science research

Researching to make a difference: possibilities for social science research in the age of AIDS.

HIV and AIDS is recognized as one of the most devastating pandemics of sub-Saharan Africa, and South Africa in particular, with adverse effect on individuals, families, schools, communities and society at large. Research is therefore required to provide a deeper understanding of the complexities of HIV and AIDS in order to mitigate the effect of the pandemic. Much of the excellent research that...

Welcome to the Science 2011 Undergraduate Research

Confronting Statistical Literacy in the Undergraduate Social Science Curriculum

The American Sociological Association (ASA) has identified scientific literacy (i.e., statistical literacy) as a key curricular goal that needs to pervade the sociology major (Howery and Rodriguez 2006). Research Methods is the core course that addresses statistical literacy, but unfortunately many students possess significant quantitative skill gaps, often accompanied by significant anxieties ...

Teaching broader impacts of science with undergraduate research

Science plays an important role in most aspects of society, and scientists face ethical decisions as a routine part of their work, but science education frequently omits or segregates content related to ethics and broader impacts of science. Undergraduate research experiences have the potential to bridge traditional divides in education and provide a holistic view of science. In practice, these...

Researching Social Inequalities in Education:

The injustices of “allowing certain people to succeed, based not upon merit but upon the cultural experiences, the social ties and the economic resources they have access to, often remains unacknowledged in the broader society” (Wacquant, 1998, p. 216). Cognizant of this, we argue that education requires researchers’ renewed examination and explanation of its involvement in the construction of ...