Building Bridges in Social Studies Education: Professional Development School Partnerships

Abstract

The authors explore the extent to which a mature professional development school (PDS) partnership at Kansas State University (KSU) helps link the disparate parts of the social studies education community. The authors initially identify and describe the divisions or "gulfs" that commonly plague social studies education, such as the gulfs between (a) social studies profession and the general pubic, (b) social studies "leaders" and classroom teachers, (c) social studies "specialists" and academic scholars, (d) elementary and secondary social studies educators, and (e) university and community college faculty (H. D. Mehlinger, 1981). The authors analyze and discuss each of the gulfs within the context of the KSU PDS partnership by identifying successes and limitations of the partnership across common social studies divides. The article concludes with practical suggestions on how to strengthen the social studies team and to improve K-12 teacher and social studies education in the KSU PDS.