OSUN Publications
Innovative Pedagogies for Social Science Thesis Writing: Enhancing Student Skills through Reflection, Storytelling, and Peer Collaboration
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
Writing a senior thesis in the social sciences is a unique and challenging endeavor, requiring students to integrate complex theoretical frameworks with empirical research. Writing a senior thesis demands critical thinking, research proficiency, and clear communication. To support students through this process, instructors need to focus on teaching techniques that emphasize critical thinking, methodological rigor, and clarity of communication – skills that are essential in social science research. This capstone project was designed to address the persistent challenge of improving social science students’ writing skills, particularly within the context of a sociology senior thesis seminar. The focus was on creating a pedagogical framework that integrates reflective exercises, storytelling, peer feedback, and experiential writing techniques to improve students’ ability to communicate complex sociological ideas in senior thesis projects. In addition, tools from the Bard College Institute for Writing and Thinking (IWT) were incorporated to provide a structured approach to enhancing writing proficiency. The framework builds on existing literature and theories from scholars such as Burgess-Proctor et al., 1 Ciabattari, 2 Mannon and Camfield, 3 and Honan and Bright, 4 while addressing both traditional and non-traditional thesis writing challenges. The project sought to develop a series of innovative, collaborative strategies that align with the demands of senior thesis projects, emphasizing the creation of knowledge through participatory methods and the disruption of conventional academic writing norms. This paper presents the results of the capstone project, demonstrating the efficacy of these approaches in improving writing competencies, fostering creativity in the senior thesis writing process, and how tools from IWT facilitated this process.
Recommended Citation
Shadymanova, Jarkyn, "Innovative Pedagogies for Social Science Thesis Writing: Enhancing Student Skills through Reflection, Storytelling, and Peer Collaboration" (2025). OSUN Publications. 24.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/osun_publications/24
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