Small Undergraduate Classes “Teaching Theory to a Small Section of the Introductory IR Course”

Carter offers an overview of teaching IR theory in a small course. Working at a private university with small class sizes, he emphasizes in class that understanding IR theory involves critical thinking skills and demystifies the idea of theory by showing how everyday decisions are based on our own theoretical understandings. He introduces the “IR Theory Toolkit” concept, which emphasizes that no one theoretical approach is best in all cases. Like tools in a toolkit, different theoretical approaches fit different circumstances. Case studies are then used to help the students understand and employ different theories and to see how they produce different explanations of political phenomena. He identifies ways to encourage student engagement and participation in the class sessions and how to resolve common problems with engagement and participation. Throughout the course, he applies IR theories as often as possible and requires students to apply IR theories in essay-based exams.