Publication Type: Paper (prepared oral presentation)
Abstract: Within the past five years, controversies surrounding the alleged politicization of the classroom have led state legislatures to convene special hearings to investigate whether an overzealous professorate actively promotes a political agenda in the classroom. Aroused by high profile stories of professorial misconduct, some critics have gone so far as to accused professors of deliberately brainwashing students by presenting a one-sided view of the political world (Black, 2004; Kimball, 1998; Kors and Silvergate, 1999; Shapiro, 2004). Yet, despite the serious accusations, there has been little research on the actual effects of a professor’s political views on students’ experiences in the classroom. Utilizing a nationwide survey of students and professors compiled in the 2006-07 academic year, we intend to investigate two central claims concerning the alleged politicization of the classroom. First, in light of the research that shows that learning tends to decline as a function of perceived differences between the student and professor (See Kelly-Woessner and Woessner 2006 & 2008) we intend to assess whether students can actually identify their instructor’s political leanings. Second, given the allegations that faculty indoctrinate their students, is there evidence that students’ political views tend to gravitate toward those of their professors over the course of a semester?