The authors argue that with the continued marginalization of social studies in the elementary classroom, integration has become a popular and effective method for the inclusion of social studies content in the daily curriculum. Using controversial issues, they highlight a model for this integration with a focus on children's literature.

The needs of individuals are increasing and diversifying in the rapidly changing world. Individuals cannot continue their lives in society through the only theoretical knowledge, and they also use the skills they have gained. In this regard, the social studies course has an important function in terms of where and how the skills will be used. The…

This qualitative study investigated how mixed-reality simulations supported the development of justice-oriented core teaching practices within a large elementary education program. Told from the point-of-view of two methods instructors, using candidates' written and oral reflections, the authors examined the use of Mursion[R] mixed reality…

More than 50% of fourth graders in the United States are reading below a proficient level, with more than 75% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch scoring lower than the U.S. average reading score. A framework of background knowledge is essential for vocabulary acquisition so the reader can comprehend the meaning of a text.…

This mixed-method study examined the attitudes and opinions of Artvin Çoruh University teacher candidates regarding the use of creative drama instruction within social studies courses. Participants were 24 university students attending their junior year in the Social Studies teacher education program. Creative drama instruction was planned and…

Harmful oversights remain in elementary social studies curricula which overlook or misrepresent minoritized communities. This dissertation explores designs for teacher education which address these oversights through community collaborations. This multi-manuscript dissertation is an empirical-conceptual inquiry design (Cochran-Smith & Lytle,…

Providing engaging, rigorous social studies education at the elementary level is a challenge faced by school districts across the country. In K-12 schools nationwide, social studies education is often neglected so that more time can be devoted to ELA and math, both of which have annual standardized tests associated with them that often carry high…

Human concern on the environment is unfortunately seen decreasing, which has resulted in negative environmental damages caused by human actions. To address this issue, this research seeks to see the influence of environment-based teaching materials in social studies learning to improve the eco-literacy of students of primary school teacher…

While recognized as a foundational practice, social studies educators struggle with enacting inquiry-based instruction. With critical inquiries that examine sociopolitical and other injustices, developing aligned compelling questions represents a challenge, particularly for elementary teachers. Informed by four lenses of criticality from social…

Social emotional learning (SEL) is very important to the well-being of students and their academic achievement in school. The purpose of this study was to search any relation between social studies text books [SSTB] and social emotional learning. This study was conducted as a qualitative study. 9 SSTBs were investigated by 21 fourth grade…

Teachers serve as gatekeepers to the implementation of curriculum in their classroom (Thornton, 2005). Their beliefs about a topic and the wider political environment can influence what they teach. To this end, our goal was to investigate whom preservice teachers identify as heroes and why, which heroes should be included in the curriculum, and…

In this article, the authors unveil the Trade Book Inquiry Design Model (IDM) blueprint. Anchored in a compelling question inspired by a trade book, the new blueprint is broken into two instructional blocks: "Reading and Comprehension" and "Living Social Studies." The inquiry template is designed to be instructionally efficient…

Time constraints and the pressure to prioritize ELA and mathematics appear to drive teachers' planning and allotment of instructional time, especially given the widening post-pandemic needs of students. This prioritization can often lead to limited time for social studies instruction. Additionally, high-quality social studies resources (such as…

Today, it is known that rapidly developing industrialization and urbanization seriously threaten the future of humanity. This situation brings to mind the concept of 'sustainable development'. The aim of this study is to determine the "Sustainable Development' awareness of prospective teachers in different branches. Survey method was used in…

This pilot study investigates content-area preservice teacher perceptions of literacy practices as humanizing pedagogy. Findings from open-ended survey questions and a focal interview suggest preservice teachers see the connection between literacy learning and the teaching of their content area. They also have a budding understanding of how…