Research on Social Studies Education

Catalog description

This course examines current and influential theory and research on social studies education in the context of K-12 schools and curriculum. The field of social studies education is broad and inclusive of different disciplines and academic content that relate to the social education of learners: histories of countries, peoples, social groups, movements, and the world; historical narratives and counternarratives of identities and heritage; notions of citizenship/civic belonging, civic engagement, and social justice; politics and ideologies; media and technology; sociology and sociocultural analyses; economic development, equity, and socioeconomic analyses; geography and world cultures; globalization and globalism; place and environments; and the interplay of individuals, groups, and institutions. How is social content positioned (or neglected) in school curriculum and educational policy? How is social content taught by teachers and learned by young people? How is that learning assessed and used? What are the implications for how young people learn about the world, cultures, social phenomena, and the past? These are kinds of questions that the social studies education research field explores. This course offers an overview of the research base and significant current scholarship on social studies education. It provides students with a grounding in reading and analyzing that literature, synthesizing ideas from across bodies of research, and applying research findings and interpretations to curricular and educational work. Course activities and assignments give students exposure to critically evaluating this research and scholarship and applying research findings to educational practice, curriculum design, professional development, or future academic inquiry.