Many parents cite intimacy as one of their reasons for deciding to educate at home. It seems intuitively obvious that home education is conducive to intimacy because of the increased time families spend together. Yet what is not clear is whether intimacy can provide justification for one's decision to home educate. To see whether this is so, we…

Feminist practices can provide firm theoretical grounding for the kind of social studies that scholars promote, especially in relation to efforts to include women in the curriculum. However, in P-12 social studies education, neither women nor feminism receive much attention. The study described in this article was a discourse analysis of 16…

In this article, the authors investigate the extent to which 9 elementary social studies methods textbooks present the purpose of teaching and learning social studies. Using Stanley's three perspectives of teaching social studies for knowledge transmission, method of intelligence, and social transformation; we analyze how these texts prepare…

In this mixed-methods study, we use a postcolonial framework to investigate how state standards represent Indigenous histories and cultures. The research questions that guided this study include: (a) What is the frequency of Indigenous content (histories, cultures, current issues) covered in state-level U.S. history standards for K-12? (b) What is…

Reviews the trends in the types of research published in "Theory and Research in Social Education" over the past 25 years. Notes balances between research and theoretical articles, quantitative and qualitative research, and refereed and nonrefereed materials. Points out areas of increasing and decreasing interest to education research. (DSK)

Offers an "outsider's perspective" on social education by someone who worked in other subfields of education before entering social studies. Discusses problems in social education, for example, the paucity of research in the field and the lack of perceived importance of social education. (DSK)

Suggests that indirect process oriented teaching methods are not too successful with elementary school social studies students because there is a tendency for teachers to provide too little information to enable a rational child to discover the ideas he or she is supposed to learn. Modifications in the form and application of the teaching strategy…

Stresses that values and moral education can be compatible with content-oriented social studies instruction. Explains how teachers of junior and senior high school students can assist students to use problem-solving and decision-making processes to make rational decisions, clarify values, and understand content. (Author/DB)

Discusses the disparity between social problems and problem solving as practiced in sociology theory and in the classroom. Problem definition is lacking due to fuzziness in this area historically. Recommends emphasis on student problem identification, integration of knowledge, and decision-making skills. (CK)

Suggests reassessment of research methods, strategies, and aims relevant to curricular/instructional decision making in the social studies. Limitations include the lack of clear-cut implications of findings for practice and the lack of cumulative findings relevant to the real life of the school. (Author/KC)

Current discourse about the qualitative state of social studies education is apolitical, diminishing opportunities for substantive change. A critical analysis of this discourse demonstrates the failure of the literature to interrogate the structures and beliefs behind surface meanings and values of social studies education in an advanced…

Explains the relationship between how children learn clock, calendar, and historical time skills and concepts. An alternative view of how temporal and historical understandings affect the teaching of history called the developmental-historical time view is proposed. (BSR)

Over 50 phases and sub-steps common to decision-making processes are discussed in an effort to create a clearer view of individual, group, social, and political decision making. The discussion is intended to encourage social studies teachers to use an action-oriented approach to teaching decision-making skills. (Author/RM)

A summary of doctoral research activity in social studies education based on dissertation abstracts for the period 1977 to mid-1982 is presented. Descriptive studies dominated, northeastern universities produced the most doctorates, the largest portion were studies of curriculum materials, and the largest number concerned broad field or general…

School research should be more social in nature, i.e., contextualized, interactive/dynamic, and sensitive to participant conceptions. To explore the possibilities and limitations of the social study of social studies, a conception of social research is delineated, using recent social studies classroom research as illustration. Research utilization…