Anecdotal evidence suggests pedagogy research on simulations in political science is dominated by two subfields: International Relations and Comparative Politics. This belief may stem from the widespread use of things like Model United Nations and Model Arab League or the popular game Statecraft. While some other subfields, notably public law,…

The aim of this confirmatory grounded theory case analysis was to investigate the perceptions of high school civics teachers on the new Illinois civics curriculum and how this relates to concepts of citizenship. This qualitative study involved focus groups consisting of 20 public high school civics teachers to investigate the use of the…

The extension of technology in current society has encouraged teachers to introduce products based on VR and IVR in their classrooms, especially video games. In this paper the specific role of video games in cultural heritage and history teaching is analyzed. Moreover, the results of recent research on the application of video games in Secondary…

In this paper, we describe the design for PurpleState, an internship simulation that applies the epistemic game model for informed civic learning. PurpleState places students in the role of interns at a political media firm and asks them to design a media campaign on a state level policy issue. Unlike the use of these models in STEM education,…

While the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education to address complex world problems, such as global warming, disease, and an increasingly interdependent world economy has led to many educational reform efforts in recent years, other content areas, such as social studies, have unnecessarily become…

This paper is a deliberate effort aiming at sensitising teachers, students, parents and other stakeholders on the basic objectives of civic education in its introduction into senior secondary school curriculum and the need to obtain full potentials for constructivist theory in teaching and learning of the relatively new subject. The introduction…

Due to the changing landscape of K-12 education in the United States, particularly issues arising from funding, safety, accessibility, and standardization, the frequency at which teachers utilize traditional field trips has diminished over the last few decades. Thanks to continued advances in communicative technology, however, teachers are able to…

Elements of statistical modeling can be implemented already in primary school. A prerequisite for this approach is that teachers are well-educated in this domain. Content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and (pedagogical) content related technological knowledge are core components of teacher education. We designed a course for elementary…

In "Reinventing the High School Government Course," the authors presented the latest iteration of an ambitious AP government course developed over a seven-year design-based implementation research project. Chiefly addressed to curriculum developers and civics teachers, the article elaborates key design principles, provides a description…

The past 15 years have seen a wealth of civic education initiatives. States have passed supportive laws, a blue-ribbon commission has identified best practices, and new programs are blossoming. Some emphasize knowing, and others emphasize doing; some are geared to academic learning about government and politics, while others emphasize…

The purpose of this article is to empower those interested in teaching students powerful and engaging social studies. Through the lens of Supreme Court simulations, this article provides educators with a viable, classroom-tested lesson plan to bring Problem-Based Learning into their classrooms. The specific aim of the lesson is to provide students…

This article is based on a case study where groups of Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian young people played a simulation game that stimulated collective deliberation on social issues. The game has been designed to provoke students to deliberate and to reflect on social problems relating to issues of citizenship and democracy. The analysis of the…

The purpose of the study was to better understand social studies teacher education through preservice professional development that incorporates an online gaming and simulation component. Examination of the impact of online gaming and simulations on the self-efficacy and content knowledge of preservice teachers in the methods course was…

Insurance is an interesting interdisciplinary topic that can offer generative meaning and relevance for students. By adapting real life examples and authentic simulations, mathematical concepts can be applied to insurance-related social studies issues and content. This article explores ways to teach insurance and related mathematical concepts to…

The democratic aim of American education is to provide "all" students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become informed, effective, and responsible citizens. Like civic education itself, literacy education can be embraced by all teachers across all disciplines. There are strategies that all teachers can use to help address…