Teachers’ Beliefs About Social Studies

Abstract

There continues to be vigorous debate over the purpose, goals, and content of social studies since its invention as a school subject in the early 20th century (National Education Association of the United States & Dunn, 1916). The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the preeminent social studies organization in North America, defi nes social studies as “the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence” (National Council for the Social Studies, 1994, p. vii). Embedded in this defi nition is content (social sciences and the humanities) as well as a specifi c purpose for social studies (citizenship education). Although there has been a great deal of tension over what social studies should encompass (Evans, 2004), the theme of “citizenship education” has dominated as the central purpose of social studies education since it fi rst appeared as a school subject.