BRIDGING THE THEORY-PRACTICE GAP IN POLITICAL SCIENCE: THE NEED FOR INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE FOR NIGERIAN POLITICAL SCIENTISTS IN TRAINING

Abstract

This article examines the deficiency of Political Science traditional teaching technique in Nigerian universities. For over six decades, the teaching of Political Science revolves around students taking pre-processed lecture notes, individual and group assignments, seminars and in-class examination rather than the practical based method in the transmission of Political Science knowledge. The traditional teaching technique de-emphasized active politics, it creates a wide gap between the theory and practice of politics. To bridge the gap, the article relies mainly on secondary sources and argues that the teaching of Political Science should go beyond classrooms and involve placement of students for internship in parliaments, political party offices, active engagement in political sensitization, community projects, political campaigns and debates. The internship would equip students with practical skills that would enable them to bridge the gap between theory and practice and at the same time become theorists and practitioners of politics at various levels.