English School “Teaching the English School at the undergraduate level”

This chapters offers an overview of the theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of teaching the English School (ES) at the undergraduate level. Drawing on the author’s work at the University of St Andrews, as well as on the experience and the inputs of tutors and students, the chapter discusses, in a personal and reflexive style, the main tenets of the theory, the challenges associated to the teaching thereof, the utility of case-studies in lectures, and the learning outcomes. The main challenges identified are related to the theory’s perceived Eurocentrism, its analytical terminology, and the differences with other International Relations theories, in particular Realism and Constructivism. However, the learning outcomes also show that, through specific examples, case-studies, and tutorials and essay questions, the students understand how the ES, despite its limitations, can shed a helpful light on notions of order, history, morality, agency, and structure, appreciating its holism and eclecticism.