Integrating Web 2.0 Technologies in Political Science Instruction for Boosting Students’ Problem-Solving Skills

Web 2.0 applications facilitate sharing of content among varied users across different disciplines and professions resulting in further collaboration and creation and recreation of content. The present paper contributes towards the integration of Web 2.0 based applications in the political science class comprising XI grade students. The study investigated its effect on students’ problem solving with two different learning approaches viz. deep learning approach and surface learning approach. The sample comprised of 141 XI grade students who were opting political science as one of the subjects. Pre-test post-test control group design was used. The data collected was analyzed with the help of two-way Analysis of Covariance. It was found that i) students using web 2.0 yielded statistically significant higher problem solving in political science than students in control group taught in conventional settings. ii) Students with deep learning approach exhibited better problem solving than students with surface learning approach. iii) Interaction effect between treatment and learning approaches was found to be not significant. The findings too underscore the potential of Web 2.0 technologies in promoting problem-solving skills in political science classrooms.