A causal-comparative, mixed methods design was used to study a partnership between a university and school district formed with the goal of improving history teachers' United States history content knowledge to raise student engagement and achievement. Data were collected from middle and high school history teachers including teacher interviews,…

The increased popularity of desktop documentary making among both teachers and students in history classrooms warrants an examination of its integration into classroom instruction. This multiple case study focused on two secondary students in an AP European History course during a unit that featured desktop documentary making. Employing Cultural…

This case study explores potential educational tensions in historical empathy for learning about emotionally difficult topics through lessons that use dramatic feature films (movies). It investigates one case of historical empathy in the classroom by analyzing what a high-school teacher and her students do and talk about in class. The observed…

Using data from a six-month qualitative study, this article examines how four secondary Social Studies teachers made meaning of music, and how those perspectives informed their pedagogical choices regarding music in their classrooms. Specifically, this article analyzes three ways the teachers talked about, viewed and incorporated music in their…

This collective case study examined how three educators (a high school social studies teacher, a university social studies teacher educator, and minister teaching an adult population) used a multimedia based curriculum guide, "Teaching the Levees", to teach about climate change to examine public priorities in relation to the environment.…

Using Kelly's (1986) four perspectives on teacher disclosure, I analyze the quality of instruction present in the classrooms of six high school government teachers during their coverage of the 2008 Presidential Election, an event that received widespread media attention and elicited strong feelings on both sides of the political spectrum. Four of…

This study examined the attitudes of high school social studies teachers toward the training they received to teach English language learners (ELLs) in their social studies classrooms. This issue is important because the number of ELLs in American schools increases each year and high school social studies classes are the one place for ELLs to…

This article examines how three secondary social studies teachers made meaning of global education, and how those perspectives informed their pedagogy in regards to teaching a range of topics around global education. Using data from a 9 month qualitative study, this article also analyzes the societal discourses that influenced the teachers'…

The purpose of this study was to examine secondary social studies teachers' professional characteristics and workplace perceptions in order to better understand who represents social education in the twenty-first century. Utilizing data from the National Center for Educational Statistics Schools and Staffing Survey, parametric and non-parametric…

This study examined an 11th grade high school class as they played the game Civilization III. Over nine class sessions students played the game in support of other activities related to several predetermined and emergent topics in U. S. history. Gameplay was whole-class oriented and involved students taking turns at the computer controlling…

Many educators agree that pre-service teachers bring into their teacher education programs previously constructed ideas and beliefs about students, teaching, and learning. They contend that it may be difficult for students to change these constructs when participating in a teacher education program whose views of instruction are not congruent with…

A study of how middle and high school American history teachers adopted and maintained the use of research-based instructional practices is described as a model of professional development for social studies teachers. The teachers participated in a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History grant…

This article focuses upon the need for character education through examining and promoting the values demonstrated by historical storytelling and encouraging the adoption of values for citizenship development. It is noted that historical figures should not be chosen by political correctness but should be examined instead for their transcending…

Presents the results from a survey of middle and high school social studies teachers that asked if and how the impeachment of President Bill Clinton was being taught. Discusses implications for social studies curriculum, current issues, the media, and teaching middle school students. (CMK)

Describes a survey of 1000 teachers to determine their views relative to the content of the secondary social studies curriculum. States that a self reporting instrument revealed sufficient patterns to devise a proposed curriculum. Concludes that this curriculum is an indication of the valuable influence classroom teachers can exert on curriculum…