Search results for: Social studies

This article shares insights into how the authors came to ask a question about teaching for social justice through cross-cultural collaborative self-study. Eight New Zealand pre-service teachers participated in semi-structured interviews in which they reflected on their six-week social studies methods course. Drawing on pedagogical moments that the pre-service teachers saw as being significant, this article explores the generative and ambiguous ways in which the course ‘muddied the waters’ of their unfolding conceptions and practices of social justice education. The article describes how coming to know ‘teaching for social justice’ through the eyes of these pre-service teachers provided a reflexive surface for the authors’ self-study and has shaped its trajectory. In contrast to their initial desire for greater certainty, placing the uncertainties of social justice at the forefront of their practice has become central to their inquiry.

The present study examines how teacher education programs contributed and/or responded to the emergence of social studies as a school subject in the early part of the twentieth century. The authors argue that the data reveal some longstanding assumptions about the development of the social studies field. For instance, there was little agreement among subject matter and education specialists regarding what constituted the social studies curriculum. Hence, there was little agreement on what social studies teachers and students needed to know. However, this little agreement suggests that disarray in the social studies field may have been as much a function of disorder in the realm of teacher education as it was of conflict among national committees. The authors conclude that the current study represents first efforts in a pursuit of understanding the historical connection of teacher education and curriculum reform.

In this article, the authors reflect upon, revisit, and rethink the original guidelines for using digital technologies to prepare social studies teachers in an effort to facilitate theoretical and practical discussions that may serve as a foundation from which to approach the preparation and development of social studies teachers over the next few years. The authors revisit the guidelines for using digital technologies in light of current scholarship and current contexts. They conclude that 15 years ago they focused on the Internet and the materials accessible online. Since then, the authors have seen the emergence of more advanced technologies. All of these developments have played into the concept of 21st-century classrooms. As a result, they see great value in supporting teachers to develop the critically aware dispositions that enable them to be ready and engage with online professional learning sites.

This study focused on students enrolled in the advanced history classes. It aimed to obtain an accurate picture of minority student enrollment in advanced placement classes at Wichita High School East. The author was interested in developing a plan of action to close the achievement gap between White and non-White students. She determined that the initial action needed was to disseminate the data to teachers and administrators to increase their awareness of the high school’s current status. The results reveal that enrollment in advanced history classes by ninth graders increased. The positive results of this study were the enhanced teacher awareness, and the increased overall student enrollment in the advanced history classes.