Teaching Political Science in

Senior High School

Maria Ela L. Atienza, PhD
Professor and Chair, Dept. of Political Science
University of the Philippines Diliman

UP CSSP-POLSC PROFESS: Understanding Culture, Society & Politics

Palma Hall, UP Diliman 27 – 28 February – 1 March 2019
1. What is politics? (Images from philstar.com)
What is politics? (Heywood 2013)
1. Politics as an arena (Location)
1.1. The art of government
1.2. Public affairs
2. Politics as a process (Mechanism)
2.1. Compromise and consensus to reach a decision,
preserve or amend rules under which people live
2.2. Power and the distribution of scarce resources
- Politics exists at all levels.
Politics, therefore …
• is more than what is
obvious
• can be defined narrowly
or broadly
• goes beyond the
national and the formal
• can be everywhere with
many types of actors
2. What is Political Science?
• The discipline that systematically studies politics, or
power and different types of power relationships
• Sometimes also referred to as political studies
• Areas of interest: public administration, comparative
politics, political economy, international relations,
political theory and philosophy, etc.
• With various approaches and methods depending
on focus of study
• Involves asking the right questions and answering
the questions in a responsible and scholarly way
3. Why include Political Science in
K-12?
• Understanding Culture, Society, Politics (Grade 11)
• Philippine Politics and Governance (Grade 12
elective)
• Political Science concepts and topics included in
social science curricula across grades
3. Why include Political Science in
K-12?
• Learning basic political science concepts, theories and
lessons forms part of developing critical thinking among
students.
• It strengthens and builds on the civics education
component of social science curricula in earlier years
which highlights how government works and the notion
of the active, engaged citizen with rights and
responsibilities.
• Students learn early recognition and analysis of power
and can have insights about how they should analyze
and act within their specific contexts as students and
later as adults.
Active Learning and the Acquisition of Political
Knowledge in the Classroom (Owen and Riddle
2017)
“In sum, political knowledge is a precursor to political
engagement. … Effective middle and high school civic
education can instill knowledge that forms a
foundation for political engagement over the life
course. Students who have experienced programs
employing an innovative curriculum taught by well-
trained teachers will exhibit higher levels of
knowledge than their peers and, as a consequence,
may be more inclined to become active political
participants as they enter the electorate.” (p. 117)
Understanding Culture, Society
and Politics
• A core subject in Senior High School
• Discusses the significant aspects of of Philippine
society using information, views, and insights from
three disciplines (Anthropology, Political Science and
Sociology)
Objectives of Understanding
Culture, Society, and Politics
• To develop students’ awareness of cultural, social
and political dynamics, and sensitivity to cultural
diversity;
• Provide them with an understanding of how culture,
human agency, society, and politics work
• Engage them in the examination of the human
development goals of the country as well as the
world
At the end of Understanding Culture, Society
and Politics, students should be able to:
• Acquire ideas about human cultures, human agency,
society and politics
• Recognize cultural relativism and social
inclusiveness to overcome prejudices
• Develop social and cultural competence to guide
their interactions with groups, communities,
networks, and institutions not only in the country
but in the world
Thank you! Salamat po!
References:
• “About Political Science”.
www.ru.nl/politicalscience/political-science/what-political-0/
• Atienza, Maria Ela; Lusterio-Rico, Ruth; Arugay, Aries;
Encinas-Franco, Jean; and Quilala, Dennis. 2016.
Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics (for Senior High
School). Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.
• Heywood, Andrew. 2013. Politics, 4th ed. New York: Palgrave
Macmillan.
• Owen, Diana and Riddle, G. Isaac W. 2017. “Active Learning
and the Acquisition of Political Knowledge in High School,” In
Teaching Civic Engagement Across the Disciplines, edited by
Matto, McCartney, Bennion and Simpson, eds. Washington,
DC: American Political Science Association, pp. 103-120.