In this study, it was aimed to determine the sources of concern of primary school teachers in terms of controversial issues and the difficulties they experience in instructional processes and to improve their teaching skills related to controversial issues with digital stories. In this context, participatory action research method was utilized. A…

There is a demographic and democratic imperative for social studies teachers to broach the issue of contemporary immigration in their classrooms. In this study, preservice social studies teachers (PSTs) viewed three documentary films that presented stories of immigration that run counter to the narrative projected by the Trump administration and…

This meta-analysis synthesized over 40 years of research (k = 42 studies) in the social studies for students with learning disabilities. We analyzed the various mechanisms that researchers have used to improve outcomes in the social studies by conducting a subgroup investigation of interventions targeting the following instructional categories:…

Despite 9/11, the seemingly endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons capabilities, and the Arab Spring and its aftermath, the social studies curricula of high schools throughout the nation generally put little emphasis on the Middle East and Islam as the foundation for understanding vital issues that…

The purpose of this research was to determine whether secondary social studies teachers' opinions impact the way they teach and how that impacts the students' learning. Neutrality is important within a classroom, but passion is rarely neutral and can spark interest and motivation in some students but it is also possible it can have a negative…

The present study examines the impact of including lessons on aging in a 12th grade social studies course on student perceptions of aging and older adults, working with older persons, and knowledge of "facts" on aging. Pre/post-test data were collected from approximately 650 upstate New York 12th grade students enrolled in a government…

The educational reform movement of the 1950s and 1960s offered insight into the complexities and difficulites of current trends to implement educational change. Two efforts to change curriculum, "new mathematics" and "new social studies," show how the reform began and problems that were encountered. (DF)

Today's fixation on math and literacy testing makes it tough for social studies teachers to deliver a challenging curriculum. But you can overcome those constraints and prepare students to actively participate in a democratic society with the ideas from this new volume in our "Priorities in Practice" series. Firsthand accounts from talented and…

Results of a social studies program evaluation conducted in the Albuquerque Public Schools are consistent in most respects with major research studies throughout the country. Highlights of the study that examined social studies program goals, course content and sequencing, teaching methods and instructional materials, and program effectiveness are…

Features of an effective citizenship program for primary grade children are discussed. The primary school years are an ideal time to nurture the basic skills and values so important for constructive social decision making. The principal feature of an effective citizenship learning program for young children is an activist, child-centered…

Most of the 84 schools responding to the survey offered multicultural education. Programs were similar in content and objectives, but predominantly Black or Hispanic schools typically offered courses on their cultures alone. Few supported their claims of success with formal evaluation. (CP)

Criticizes character education programs that tend merely to present moral values to students, believing this produces socially responsible behavior. Argues listing values is simplistic and ineffective. Recognizes the situational complexity that confounds making moral choices. Suggests character education must contend with value conflicts and guide…