The Effect of Teaching Parliamentary Studies on Students' Knowledge and Attitudes: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The Westminster Parliament has recently invested considerable resource in developing a series of ‘Parliamentary Studies’ modules throughout British universities. But what difference does the teaching of Parliament make to students' understanding of the institution? In this pilot study, the results of a series of questions about the institution (both factual and attitudinal) which are asked at the beginning of the module are compared with the results of the same questions asked towards the end of teaching. Increases in levels of both knowledge and support are discovered.