ERIC Number: EJ1468030
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0022-1341
EISSN: EISSN-1752-6868
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Developing an Online Elementary Social Studies Community of Practice to Enhance K-6 Geography
Alex Oberle1; C. Fay Gore2; Elaine Larson3
Journal of Geography, v124 n1 p1-11 2025
Social studies instructional time in elementary schools has declined substantially. Responding to this, the National Geographic Society (NGS) developed a professional learning program called the Elementary Social Studies Community of Practice (ESSCoP). This article describes this program's design and content, as well as evaluates its effectiveness. The project team employed surveys administered throughout the program as well as summative feedback. Program evaluation demonstrates that ESSCoP enhanced participants' geography teaching, including their self-assessed ability to access high quality resources and teach using their state's geography standards. The program additionally increased the amount of instructional time the participants dedicated to teaching geography.
Descriptors: Elementary School Curriculum, Elementary School Students, Elementary School Teachers, Social Studies, Curriculum Development, Communities of Practice, Geography Instruction, Program Design, Program Content, Program Effectiveness, Program Evaluation, Summative Evaluation, Teacher Competencies, Teacher Effectiveness, Computer Mediated Communication, Videoconferencing
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Kentucky; North Carolina; Iowa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of Geography, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA; 2Strategic Partnerships, Grants, and Educator Initiatives, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, USA; 3Regional Director, Midwest, National Geography Society (retired), St. Paul, Minnesota, USA