The authors present a case study of a world history teacher's mediation of her students' world historical thinking and writing through unit-level cognitive tools. They analyze both scaffolding and disciplinary tools that the teacher constructed for her students in order to improve their world historical thinking, and the degree to which the…

This research examines the preparation of middle grades social studies teachers by investigating opportunities for learning in 2 social studies methods courses in distinctive teacher education pathways: a specialized middle grades program and a secondary social studies program. The findings suggest that, although both methods course instructors…

This article examines the problems of lower secondary education in Spain (ESO, or compulsory secondary education), in view of the implementation of several education reforms, focusing on their effect on the crisis in secondary teachers' professional identity. Using research data, we analyse their experience of the crisis and the problems involved…

The author explores the articulations of six social studies student/teachers after a viewing of "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts". The film, a documentary about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on the people in and around New Orleans, constitutes an encounter with what Deborah Britzman (1998) calls "difficult…

The author presents findings from the first phase of a longitudinal, comparative case study that investigates what teachers learn about intellectually demanding social studies teaching at the middle school level from two distinctive teacher education pathways: a specialized middle school teacher education program and a secondary social studies…

This study replicated a 1999 survey study of classroom Internet use by social studies teachers (6-12) in Indiana. The 1999 study indicated that although 80% wished to be using it more often, respondents' Internet use was little more than "glorified information gathering." The present study modified the same instrument to survey a random sample of…

This study examined the teaching of controversial public issues (CPI) in middle and high school social studies classes. I sought to better understand the instruction and conceptions undergirding the instruction of secondary social studies teachers who were nominated by discussion experts as especially skillful at teaching their students to…

Examines the learning opportunities students have related to the democratic purposes of schooling in eighth, ninth, and tenth grade social studies classrooms. Explains five frameworks identified for linking curricular strategies to the preparation of citizens and the rubrics used to code observations in Chicago (Illinois) social studies classrooms…

Provides a case study of a high school social studies teacher. States that the study examined the connection between personal theories, life experiences, and teacher contexts as related to the enacted curriculum in a social studies classroom. Presents the study findings in detail. (CMK)

Presents a study that focused on two broad questions: (1) what reasons do teachers give for teaching high school economics; and (2) what are the major goals these teachers hold for their economics courses and students in those courses? States that eight high school economics teachers were interviewed. (CMK)

Examines how teachers at a predominantly white, middle-class high school enacted multicultural education into the course, "Cultural Issues." Explores course examples which suggest that micro-political contexts of school and community-shaped curriculum and instruction are important, but in unacknowledged ways. Argues that attention must be paid to…

Looks at how young people use historical knowledge, gained from media sources, to deal with current situations. A group of young African Americans draw on behavioral examples from the film, "Panther," instead of school-based learning, to give them ways to deal with the Ku Klux Klan in their neighborhood. (DAJ)

Explores a case study on the conceptions of citizenship held by teachers, parents, and students in a school in Australia. Argues that effective citizenship education programs require teachers, students, and parents to have a shared understanding about what it means to be a "good citizen." Discusses the findings in detail. (CMK)

Examines how the voluntary national U.S. history standards contained within the "National Standards for United States History: Exploring the American Experience" were presented in selected U.S. newspapers. Uses ethnographic content and critical discourse analytic methodologies. Indicates that most newspapers presented a fragmented and inflated…

Explores high school students' responses to a problem-based U.S. history unit. Investigates whether multimedia-supported learning assists students in overcoming obstacles to problem-based learning. Focuses on how the multimedia environment was used, the meaning of the learning experience, and how students' responses compared to those students who…