In this qualitative research project, I investigated curricular decision making and the relationship among teacher philosophies, textbook materials, and classroom practice. Participants included 5 experienced 5th-grade teachers who used a comprehensive social studies textbook package, "History Alive! America's Past". Information was…

Arthur E. Morgan and other self-made business leaders opened Moraine Park School in 1917 to provide a form of character training that they feared had ended in the United States. These men believed that young people gained the best social education when they had to run their own companies because such opportunities enabled students to acquire the…

Home geography was the principal means by which primary students in the United States learned about the social world from the 1890s through the 1920s. This subject was rooted in the German subject of Heimatkunde, and it reflected the changing nature of the academic discipline of geography in the late nineteenth century. Its content focused on…

We report a qualitative case study of interpretive activity inside the current wave of the "international education" movement in U.S. schools. We used a sociological framework to examine how competing interpretations are mobilized in relation to one another and to the urgent discourses of Globalization and Terror. Data were gathered in interviews…

This article presents a portrait of practice of one social studies methods professor engaged in teaching his course and analyzes the choices the professor makes during the semester. These choices are linked to his philosophy of social studies education with particular attention paid to his passionate belief in the American story as the core of…

Asserts that new technologies have advantages and drawbacks for society. Believes that the way to improve education is not through the use of technology, but to adopt an inspiring narrative as a goal of education. (CMK)

Examines the work of Paulo Freire, one of the most widely recognized educators in the world. Contends that Freire's work offers a guide to understanding how his lessons might be used to deepen questions about the form and content of citizenship education with social justice as a goal. (Contains references.) (CMK)

Explains that Jerome Bruner has been one of the most prominent U.S. psychologists and educators since World War II with particular interest in and influence on social education. Reviews Bruner's work focusing on the influence of his early years in public opinion research and the significance of his conversion to postmodernism. (Contains…

Examines multiple perspectives on current classroom practice in global education, including those of master teachers, practicing teachers, and preservice teachers. Notes some commonalities and differences of theories and practice across the three groups. Argues that the theories and practices of teachers can and should inform conceptual…

Comments on Mark Blum's essay on the history of the interpretation of history. Applauds Blum's attempt but draws out problems associated with his argument's grounding in the philosophy of Edmund Husserl and John Toews. Concludes by discussing a new historicism and a need for a postmodern turn in historical interpretation. (DSK)

Responds to Lynda Stone's comments on the author's essay on the interpretation of history. Demonstrates the linkages between his argument and those of Stone. Concludes by contesting some of her interpretations of his philosophical forebear, Edmund Husserl, and by pointing to the common objectives of both his and Stone's research. (DSK)

Muses on reasons why the education community seems to have an inherent inferiority complex when compared to other university fields. Contends that this is the result of refusing to adopt the position that educators must engage the need to control and ethically use the power that comes with their knowledge. (DSK)

Explores social education and the nature of social knowledge, focusing on reconstructivism, John Dewey's criticism of reconstructivism, the two developments that unraveled the reconstructionist counter-socialization argument, and the current emphasis in social education on the loss of respect for the core values and objective methods for…

Reiterates the need for an understanding of the concepts of continuity and change, not simply in the representation of historical events, but in the writing and study of history. Uses Thomas Hobbes's riddle of Theseus to illustrate the need for multiple readings and critical analysis in history instruction. (MJP)

Describes and illustrates the interaction between personal, policy, and organizational factors that influence teachers' decisions regarding content and teaching methods. Specifically questions how this information might be used in determining the efficacy of educational reforms. Includes verbatim comments from teachers and a sample of interview…