Teaching Experimental Methods: A Framework for Hands-On Modules

Experiments provide a simple and engaging framework for familiarizing students with the process of quantitative social research. In this article, I illustrate how experiments can be used in the classroom environment by describing a module that was implemented in four high school classrooms. The module familiarized students with how the scientific method can be applied to political questions and introduced them to basic statistical concepts. This specific lesson plan can serve as a model for how more complex and rigorous experimental designs can be used to actively engage more advanced (college-level) students in the process of research design and statistical analysis.