Shaping the discipline: the impact of QAA benchmark statements on politics and international relations

Blair, A, Craig, J, Gann, R ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0393-3204 and Honeyman, V, 2025. Shaping the discipline: the impact of QAA benchmark statements on politics and international relations. European Political Science. ISSN 1680-4333

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Abstract

The question ‘What is Politics and International Relations?’ often goes unasked, potentially leading to varied interpretations across universities. The review of the Quality Assurance Agency’s (QAA) Subject Benchmark Statement for Politics and International Relations in early 2022 provided a key moment to define the discipline. For over three decades, benchmark statements have been crucial in the UK higher education, guiding learning assurance and disciplinary self-definition. Despite their significance, the development process and impact of these benchmarks at a disciplinary level are underexplored. This article explores the history, development and influence of benchmark statements on Politics and International Relations, illustrating how they balance commonalities and differences across the UK institutions. It addresses concerns about the potential restrictiveness of these benchmarks and emphasises their voluntary nature. Through insights from four members of the Subject Benchmark Statement advisory group, the article aims to provide a thorough understanding of how benchmark statements shape and reflect the evolving landscape of the teaching of Politics and International Relations.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	European Political Science
Creators:	Blair, A., Craig, J., Gann, R. and Honeyman, V.
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Date:	10 April 2025
ISSN:	1680-4333
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1057/s41304-025-00525-9 DOI 2426178 Other
Rights:	This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41304-025-00525-9
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	15 Apr 2025 10:38
Last Modified:	15 Apr 2025 10:38
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/53411

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