Levels of nationalism among middle and high school social studies teachers: Implications for promoting equity for immigrant students and with educators

Abstract

This article analyzes survey data from a national sample of K-12 public school teachers (N = 5190) with a focus on the nested sample of middle and high school social studies teachers (N = 927). The authors examine social studies teachers' views on nationalism, including the sub-categories of chauvinistic nationalism and patriotism. In the analyses, the authors show differences in levels of nationalism based on demographic and regional factors and the relationship between levels of nationalism and teachers' beliefs about educational rights for undocumented immigrant students using both correlation and linear regression analyses. We argue that teachers’ views on nationalism could be a critical factor in shaping beliefs toward equity in relation to immigrant students.