This study aims to describe components and levels of upper secondary social science students' reasoning about social problems. We consulted conceptualizations of social scientific reasoning in sociology textbooks and social science education literature, analyzed student papers, and conducted focus groups with social science teachers and teacher…

In this conceptual piece, we situate settler colonial theory and qualitative inquiry in a discussion about the research(ing) of social studies education. The context for this article includes our visit and conversations with 9th grade Oklahoma history teachers and their teaching and curriculum within Indigneous contexts. Although not focused as an…

The authors trace the development and implementation of Virginia's History and Social Science standards-based accountability system from 1995 to 2009. They frame the study within an examination of the political ideologies that influence policy realization and unpack the relationship between ideological and epistemological beliefs about the nature…

Social sciences differ from the "hard" sciences because the social sciences are fundamentally dialectical in nature. The use of instructional dramaturgical dialogs can help students appreciate the kind of knowledge social scientists seek and the positive consequences of scholarly conflict. An illustrative dialog between educators and…

Frame analysis was used to examine how competing stakeholders framed a sixth grade curriculum controversy over whether the WWII internment of Japanese Americans should be categorized as a controversial issue. Teachers and administrators in a northwestern U.S. school claimed that the internment was clearly wrong and not controversial, but these…

Reports on a citation analysis study of the characteristics of knowledge included in the "Handbook of Research on Social Studies Teaching and Learning." Finds that the field relies largely upon its own scholarship, rather than drawing on the social sciences as its knowledge base. (CFR)

The philosophical problem of "how one knows," using inductive reasoning and the use of inductive reasoning in four new social studies programs are discussed in order to promote an awareness among students and teachers of the complexity of the methodological problem. (JH)

Argues that since writing is used to express knowledge in all the social sciences, it ought to become a part of instruction in every social science discipline. Identifies four approaches to incorporating writing in social education and describes specific writing activities for each of the approaches. (Author/BR)

Presents brief descriptions of research methodologies by social studies educators. Offers examples of the potential research questions each method may suitably address. Concludes by listing several ways to improve the quality of research conducted by each method. (Author/GEA)

Research studies published in THEORY AND RESEARCH IN SOCIAL EDUCATION over the eight year period between 1979 and 1986 were reviewed and evaluated using an instrument developed by the authors. Descriptive summaries of the findings, along with examples of good and bad practice, are reported. (Author/BSR)

Explores the differences between the social science (SS) and reflective inquiry (RI) teaching traditions. Each tradition defines problems differently. For example, in the SS teaching tradition, the learner's problems are predefined. In the RI teaching tradition, the learner defines the problem. (AM)

A model of the theories people use to explain social phenomena, based on the traditions of structuralist linguistics and political theory, is presented and discussed. How such a model can be used to analyze the ideological content of the social science curriculum is examined. (Author/RM)

This paper distinguishes school ethnography from traditional ethnography and suggests several reasons why school ethnography has not yet secured a place in the research repertoire of most social studies educators. Concludes that social studies researchers should use school ethnography to develop better understandings of the daily patterns of…

Provides an overview of the types and characteristics of metaphors. Discusses the nature of metaphorical thinking and how to teach it in the classroom. (JDH)

Describes a study undertaken to determine to what extent research in social studies education reflects attention to population and sample definitions and descriptions, to randomness, and to replication. Findings indicated researchers often continue to be careless in their data collection and analysis. (Author/DB)