SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL IN QUÉBEC SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE RAPPORT PARENT IN 1964: Foundations, Perspectives and Conceptual Framework

Background/Context The field of social studies education is hardly lacking in historical investigation. The historiography includes sweeping chronicles of longtime struggles over the curriculum as well as case studies of momentous eras, events, policies, trends, and people, with emphases on aims, subject matter, method, and much more. Curiously, scant attention has been paid to the history of social studies teacher education. This study fills a gap in the literature by considering what effect, if any, teacher education in the social studies has had on the development of the field over time. Specifically, the study focuses on history/social studies teacher education in the decades immediately preceding and following the National Education Association's landmark report, The Social Studies in Secondary Education, which commonly is credited with establishing social studies as a school subject. Purpose A basic premise underlying this study is that stability and change in social studies curriculum and instruction may be someway related to stability and change in social studies teacher education. Because the enterprise of social studies teacher education exists in large part for the sake of supporting the enterprise of social studies in the schools, changes in social studies in the schools may well affect the preparation of teachers to teach the subject, and changes in social studies teacher preparation may well affect the teaching of the subject in schools. This study interrogates how teacher education programs contributed and/or responded (or not) to the emergence of social studies as a school subject in the early part of the twentieth century. Research Design This document-based historical study looks back nearly a century to the origins of the social studies field and considers the interrelationship between social studies as it was envisioned in the schools and social studies as it was configured in teacher education programs. The study is based on published monographs, reports, and articles on the status of history (pre-1916) and social studies (post-1916) teacher preparation programs that largely have been overlooked by social studies historians to date. Findings/Conclusions The story that emerges reinforces some longstanding assumptions about the development of the field: For example, there was little agreement among subject matter and education specialists regarding what constituted the social studies curriculum, so there was little agreement on what social studies teachers and students needed to know. But, it also suggests that disarray in the social studies field may have been as much a function of disorder in the realm of teacher education as it was of conflict among curriculum-makers about the nature of social studies in the schools.

Substantial research has been put forth calling for the field of social studies education to engage in work dealing with the influence of race and racism within education and society (Branch, 2003; Chandler, 2015; Chandler & Hawley, 2017; Husband, 2010; King & Chandler, 2016; Ladson-Billings, 2003; Ooka Pang, Rivera & Gillette, 1998). Previous contributions have examined the presence and influence of race/ism within the field of social studies teaching and research (e.g. Chandler, 2015, Chandler & Hawley, 2017; Ladson-Billings, 2003; Woyshner & Bohan, 2012). In order to challenge the presence of racism within social studies, research must attend to the control that whiteness and white supremacy maintain within the field. This edited volume builds from these previous works to take on whiteness and white supremacy directly in social studies education. In Marking the “Invisible”, editors assemble original contributions from scholars working to expose whiteness and disrupt white supremacy in the field of social studies education. We argue for an articulation of whiteness within the field of social studies education in pursuit of directly challenging its influences on teaching, learning, and research. Across 27 chapters, authors call out the strategies deployed by white supremacy and acknowledge the depths by which it is used to control, manipulate, confine, and define identities, communities, citizenships, and historical narratives. This edited volume promotes the reshaping of social studies education to: support the histories, experiences, and lives of Students and Teachers of Color, challenge settler colonialism and color-evasiveness, develop racial literacy, and promote justice-oriented teaching and learning.

Although there is an increasing number of studies concentrating upon education, some researchers have revealed that most studies, including qualitative studies in education, have methodological issues. One of the most common mistakes and neglected issues in qualitative studies is not to ensure the trustworthiness of the research, which indeed is an important component for the rigor of the study. The main purpose of this study is to examine how researchers ensure the trustworthiness of Ph.D. dissertations in social studies education. Document analysis was employed in the study. I examined 197 Ph.D. dissertations belonging to years 2002 and 2020 as well as to the field of social studies education which were obtained from the National Dissertation Center of Turkish Higher Education Council. I used the deductive coding and analysis approach in order to examine dissertations. The study results revealed that no trustworthiness strategy was used or reported in nearly half of Ph.D. dissertations that were conducted in the field of social studies education. Researchers mostly preferred to use validity and reliability terms, which are highly criticized by some scholars as to the paradigm of qualitative orientations. Besides, while some trustworthiness strategies such as peer debriefing and external audit were mainly used, others such as negative case analysis and stepwise replication were not used or reported in any dissertation. Some recommendations were made considering the study results and discussions at the end of the study.

Practice-based research is perceived as significantly important to enhance the quality of social studies education in the literature. In particular, graduate dissertations have great potential for contributing to the literature, and using research methods, and designs that improve practice is valuable in graduate-level research. This study focuses on dissertations that employ action research. This practise-based research design can be used to find solutions to instructional problems and improve the quality of social studies instruction. The study's primary aim is to examine the graduate dissertations with action research design completed in the field of social studies education in Turkey in terms of various variables. Document analysis, a qualitative research method, was used, and 82 graduate dissertations adopting action research in social studies education were examined. Descriptive analysis was performed in data analysis. The results showed that only few graduate dissertations were completed by using action research in social studies education, these dissertations were mostly at the master's level, qualitative research methods were employed in most of the dissertations, teaching-learning approaches, methods, and techniques were mostly addressed in the data collections processes, and most of the dissertations did not involve an action or lesson plan.

Eğitsel dijital oyun, öğrencilerin öğrenmelerini kolaylaştıran etkinliklerdir. Bu araştırmanın amacı Türkiye’de 2000-2023 yılları arasında sosyal bilgiler eğitimi alanındaki eğitsel dijital oyunlara yönelik yapılan araştırmaları meta-sentez yoluyla incelemektir. Türkiye’de 2000-2023 yılları arasında sosyal bilgiler eğitimi alanında eğitsel dijital oyunlara yönelik 10 araştırmaya rastlanılması ve bu konuda meta-sentez içerikli bir araştırmaya ulaşılamaması bu araştırmanın önemini ve özgünlüğünü göstermektedir. Bu çalışma, nitel bir araştırma olup meta-sentez desenindedir. Veri toplamada ERİC, ULAKBİM, YÖK Ulusal Tez Merkezi, Google Akademik ve TÜBİTAK veri tabanlarından yararlanılmıştır. Veri tabanlarında “oyun, dijital oyun, eğitsel dijital oyun, meta-sentez, sosyal bilgiler” terimleri listelenmiştir. Araştırmacı, yapılan araştırmaları, “araştırmanın yılı, türü, yöntemi, deseni, veri toplama aracı, çalışma grubu ve düzeyi, analiz türü ve araştırmanın etkileri” açısından incelemiştir. Araştırma verileri betimsel içerik analiziyle çözümlenmiştir. Bulgulara göre; sosyal bilgiler eğitimi alanında eğitsel dijital oyunlara yönelik 2000-2023 yılları arasında 10 araştırma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Yapılan araştırmaların yedisi tez, ikisi makale biri de araştırma projesidir. Sosyal bilgiler alan eğitimcilerinin sosyal bilgiler içerikli eğitsel dijital oyunlara yönelik görüşlerini içeren ve ilkokul öğrencileri üzerinde yürütülen araştırmaların yapılması önerilmektedir.

Social Studies Education

Black Critical Patriotism: An Inquiry for Social Justice Terrance Lewis (bio) Ahmaud Arbery, COVID-19, George Floyd, Black Lives Matter protests, Breonna Taylor, and the election of President Joseph Biden. [1] These pivotal events and others from 2020 revealed much about societal norms and conditions currently existing within the United States of America, which many consider to be post-racial. While many of those events affected all communities in negative ways, no community felt it worse than those who have been historically excluded from fully benefiting from the rights and privileges guaranteed to all citizens born or naturalized in America. [2] To add to that, I believe many of the events from 2020 not only revealed but exacerbated the unfair societal conditions already facing members of historically excluded communities, leaving many questioning the validity of America’s claim to be a post-racial society. I find it impossible to consider America a post-racial society without questioning the existence and impact of dominant power structures stemming from one of the darkest moments in American history, the period of enslavement. Those power structures, in my opinion, continue to be dominated by race, gender, and class. Furthermore, research and the recent racial injustices occurring in 2020 suggest historically excluded communities within the United States do not have equal experiences with the same political systems promising equal opportunity for all. [3] Unfortunately, this reality is not isolated, and has continued to occur since the arrival of diverse groups in America. Therefore, the time has come for America to speak honestly regarding the negative ramifications of enslavement currently existing within society. In complete honesty, this will be easier said than done, especially given the current amount of polarization in American society. [4] A quick view of social media platforms will show the difficulty of engaging in simple civil discourse regarding [End Page 19] anything considered controversial or political.[5] However, I believe civil discourse and open discussion are the first steps in dismantling the dominant power structure in America and making America a more equitable country for its entire citizenry. While every entity and everyone has a role to play, schools are uniquely positioned to play a major role achieving this goal. Given the diversity of perspectives present in most schools, they are gold mines for teaching students how to civilly discuss, engage, and respond to those with whom they might differ. This type of instruction will be critical in achieving and sustaining worthwhile change beneficial to everyone living in American society. Furthermore, a proper and effective social studies education requires such instruction. According to the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Position Statement, a powerful social studies education prepares students to be productive citizens, requires students to “confront multiple dilemmas,” and “encourages students to speculate, think critically, and make personal and civic decisions on information from multiple perspectives.” [6] It goes on to say powerful social studies should be value-based and include multiple points of view. While I agree with all these assertions, I believe an effective social studies education goes a step further by equipping students with tools to challenge and ultimately change dominant power structures they deem unjust or unfair. Critical pedagogy, social justice pedagogy, and abolitionist teaching include the major components associated with this form of teaching. [7] Therefore, any conversation examining the impact of dominant power structures must occur through a lens of social justice where all perspectives are included, heard, and respected. I believe that this will lead to the creation of a more equitable society. While the results of this practice are promising, this must be a collaborative effort. Although much of the conversation surrounding the teaching of civil discourse occurs within the field of social studies education, it needs to be included across all content areas. All content areas present opportunities for students to engage and discuss with others who have differing experiences and perspectives. Given these opportunities, social studies classes must take the lead in modeling and implementing this work. Nevertheless, research suggests many students are not engaging in active or critical learning requiring them to consider multiple perspectives, debate, or engage in discussion, which are all skills needed for productive civil discourse...

In March 2002, members of the National Technology Leadership Initiative (NTLI) met in Charlottesville, Virginia to discuss the potential effects of ubiquitous computing on the field of education. Ubiquitous computing, or “on-demand availability of task-necessary computingpower,” involves providing every student with a handheld computer—a situation with enormous repercussions for education and teacher education. Over a two-day period, participants engaged in intensive discussion of the issue of ubiquitous computing and developed seven conclusions. This paper, written by the representatives from social studies organizations, seeks to examine the specific implications of these seven conclusions for the field of social studies education. The paper discusses the concept of ubiquitous computing and the impact this technology shift may have on social studies curricula, teacher preparation, software development, and research agendas.

In this study, it is aimed to examine the doctoral theses prepared in the field of social studies education in the USA and Turkey between the years 2018-2022 in terms of various categories. For this purpose, 113 doctoral theses accessed through ProQuest database and 121 doctoral dissertations accessed from YÖK Thesis Center database were analyzed by document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods. Theses examined in the study were analyzed in terms of 7 different categories such as the year, the university, research approach, research design, study group/sample, data collection tools and the subject. According to the findings obtained from the research, in both countries between 2018-2022, at least the thesis in the field of social studies education was prepared in 2020, while the year 2021 was the year in which the most theses were prepared in this sense. While “University of South Carolina” is the university where the most theses are produced in the USA, “Gazi University” comes first in Turkey. While more qualitative research approach, research designs and data collection tools were preferred in the USA, mixed research approach was mostly preferred in studies in Turkey. While researchers in the USA mostly work with teachers, the most studied sample/study group in Turkey is students. While doctoral theses in the field of social studies education in the USA were mostly prepared on teaching methods, due diligence, teacher self-efficacy, education policies and curriculum, theses in Turkey were generally prepared on teaching methods, value and skill acquisition. The results of the research show that the studies in the field of social studies education in Turkey tend to repeat, especially in terms of subject. In this sense, it is thought that this study can be a guide for researchers in Turkey to produce different and original researches.

During the late twentieth century in the field of social studies education, Donald Oliver, Fred Newmann, and James Shaver were prominent leaders. Their work on the Harvard Social Studies Project was part of the New Social Studies movement popular in the 1960s and 1970s that attempted to transform the social studies curriculum nationwide. By creating materials that focused on inquiry-based learning, they aimed to make a difference in the way that social studies courses were taught in American schools. The focus of this research is an analysis of the content and impact of the Harvard Social Studies Project and an exploration of the contributions of Donald Oliver, Fred Newmann, and James Shaver to that project. Historical research methods served as the primary theoretical framework for guiding the investigation. Oliver, Newmann, and Shaver’s work on the Harvard Social Studies Project not only established all three men as influential leaders in social studies education but also laid the groundwork for their subsequent work in broader areas of education.

A new paradigm in social studies education needs to be implemented as an effort to enhance the quality of the educational process and meet the evolving societal demands for education. Consequently, innovations in social studies education can be effectively carried out when guided by the results of evaluations and research in the field of social studies education. Learning can be conducted within collaborative study groups, emphasizing group-based learning. Until now, this approach has not been intentionally developed within the instructional process, hence presenting a challenge and a demand for educational innovation. Once implemented, it will be capable of addressing the shortcomings of the instructional methods that have been applied in educational institutions.

This qualitative study examines the perceptions that Latino students have of middle school social studies. Twelve Latino/a middle school students provided written narratives recounting their experiences in social studies and participated in two semi-structured phenomenological interviews. Findings indicate that social studies teachers rely heavily upon “banking” pedagogy and the curriculum lacks cultural diversity. Students also perceived social studies as the ideal subject area in middle school to engage in global learning opportunities as well as discussion about current events. Latino/a students’ experiences and subsequent perceptions of middle school social studies are consistent with theory and research pertaining to adolescent identity, cognitive, and psychosocial development. Findings from this investigation add to the extant canon of literature on students’ perceptions of social studies and further emphasize the significance of social studies in meeting the needs of 21st century diverse learners. Lastly, the authors offer suggestions for practice and issue a call for research in the field of social studies education that is middle-level specific with implications as to how culturally responsive social studies fosters identity and psychosocial adolescent development for culturally and ethnically diverse students.

This paper analyzes the imaginings of sustainable futures and possibilities for action toward these imaginings articulated by social studies teachers. Participant stories about a day in the life of an imagined future largely leave intact major systems and discourses including those which have actively contributed to problems they identify including climate change. I argue that weakened imaginations and aspirations of possibility function to increase toleration for the most traumatic ecological tragedies both impending and already unfolding. Importantly for the field of social studies education, this data illustrates that while teacher participants consistently articulated desires to include issues of climate crisis in their social studies classrooms, they lack robust understandings of the possibilities for action in the face of complex environmental or climate justice challenges.

I came to social studies education at an exciting time—the late 1960s and early 1970s. There was much ferment in society—optimism in the twilight of the Civil Rights Movement, political turmoil over the Vietnam War, and the energy of the growing Women’s Movement. It was also a time of innovation within the field of social studies education as social educators and social scientists in the academy worked together to create the new curricular programs collectively named “The New Social Studies.”

Do domain specific teaching/learning beliefs and epistemological beliefs exist and do they explain a domain specific approach to teaching and learning the social sciences? This paper reports on the first stage of an exploratory qualitative study carried out at the University of Bielefeld in 2010/11 on pre-service social studies teachers (PSST, n=61). It has a threefold aim: First, providing a very short overview of relevant trends in recent research on epistemological beliefs and teaching/learning beliefs and presenting some plausible hypotheses on if and how these belief dimensions are related to each other in the field of social studies education; second, presenting and discussing metaphors as a suitable qualitative research method for diagnosing and analysing the teaching and learning beliefs in the field; third, presenting the general outline of the Bielefeld project and a comparison of two emblematic cases of the project to evaluate the potential advantages and shortcomings of the research design and methods, especially of metaphor analysis.