Pedagogical conditions that promote historical empathy with “The Elizabeth Jennings Project”

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Perrotta
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Source Analysis ◽  
National Council ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Historical Empathy ◽  
Secondary Social Studies ◽  
Historical Figure ◽  
Historical Figures

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether or not the implementation of an instructional unit about an underrepresented historical figure, specifically Elizabeth Jennings, titled “The Elizabeth Jennings Project” (EJP) creates conditions conducive for middle and secondary social studies students to demonstrate historical empathy. Design/methodology/approach A case study methodology was selected for this study because the researcher implemented the EJP at one school with a small sample size of participants to assess which pedagogical factors, if any, fostered historical empathy through analysis of an underrepresented historical figure among middle and secondary social studies students. Findings Major findings highlight that active learning pedagogies, such as in-class debate, were effective strategies that promote historical empathy when middle and secondary students examined documents about an underrepresented historical figure. Analysis of the implementation of “The EJP” provides insights about how historical empathy pedagogies can connect to national standards and initiatives such as the Common Core Standards for History/Social Studies and the National Council for the Social Studies College, Career, and Civic Life Framework for middle and secondary social studies. Originality/value Historical empathy refers to deep inquiry in which intellectual and affective responses to content are shaped through source analysis of the actions, motives, perspectives and beliefs of people in the past. Although there are several studies that address pedagogies that promote historical empathy through examinations of famous historical figures, there is limited research concerning whether students display historical empathy by investigating underrepresented historical figures such as Elizabeth Jennings.

NCSS notable trade book lesson plan Before She Was Harriet

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-360
Author(s):  
Daneell D. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Trade Book ◽  
National Council ◽  
Teacher Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
Historical Figure

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to allow students to explore the accomplishments of Harriet Tubman at various stages of her life through a guided research investigation. Students will be able to identify Harriet Tubman as a human hero by creating biographical story boards to display first in the classroom and later moved to a local cultural museum. The lesson plan is based on the trade book Before She Was Harriet. This short biography of Harriet Tubman is written in a free verse style to introduce young readers to the several roles she held throughout her impressive life span. Design/methodology/approach Social constructivist principles are integrated throughout the lesson; that is, meaningful interactions with peers and the teacher influence student learning. Students participate in a scaffolded research project with the support of teacher modeling and graphic organizers. They expand their knowledge by creating an original interdisciplinary project, a story board biography. Throughout all phases of the learning experience, students engage in critical thinking and challenging activities that include drawing connections among ideas, evaluating group work, arguing positions and applying research skills. Additionally, a variety of resources, including technology, are incorporated to promote active student engagement. Findings This is a National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Notable Tradebook Lesson Plan. Originality/value Young learners need the opportunity to engage in scaffolded research activities in a social studies classroom. This innovative instructional plan provides PreK-3 teachers a guide to introducing students to Harriet Tubman by reading aloud Before She Was Harriet, a 2018 Notable Trade book, and allowing students to gather a deep understanding of this historical figure through guided research over the course of two to three sessions.

A study of elementary teacher’s perspectives on professional development for social studies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Perrotta
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Native American ◽  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Social Studies ◽  
National Council ◽  
Colleges Of Education ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Studies Instruction

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to ascertain perspectives from pre-service and in-service elementary teachers about challenges they face when teaching social studies, and how their participation in a content-based professional development opportunity can support their preparedness for social studies instruction. Five speakers who were experts in topics such as Native American history, historical preservation, women's history and the Constitution were featured at this workshop.Design/methodology/approachCase study methodology with both descriptive and explanatory data collection and analysis methods, which were inclusive of surveys and focus group sessions, was implemented. The National Council for the Social Studies (2017) Powerful and Authentic Social Studies framework was applied in order to examine whether elementary in-service and pre-service teachers participation in this content-focused professional development impacted their preparedness to teach social studies.FindingsMajor findings show that content-specific professional development can support pre-service and in-service elementary teachers' preparation to teach social studies through analysis of historical topics and contemporary issues, as well as mitigate challenges with regard to limited time dedicated to social studies instruction.Originality/valueIn light of the Senate's debate on passing the Educating for Democracy Act concerning funding for civics and history education, the originality of this study highlights the continued need for scholarship on how partnerships between colleges of education, school districts and local educational agencies to provide content-focused professional development can support elementary teachers' ambitious social studies instruction, which can foster greater understandings of historical content and civic participation in democratic society.

Secondary teacher candidates’ experiences teaching about religion within a history curriculum

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-191
Author(s):  
Sarah B. Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
National Council ◽  
World Religions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Curriculum ◽  
Secondary Social Studies ◽  
Social Studies Teacher ◽  
Teaching About Religion

Purpose The National Council for the Social Studies (2014, 2017) has called for increased attention to religion in social studies curriculum. A small but growing body of research has examined the preparation of social studies teacher candidates to teach about world religions, but critical questions remain. The purpose of this paper is to explore the question: what is the experience of the secondary social studies teacher candidate as he/she teaches about religion in a high school, world history course? Design/methodology/approach This study employed a phenomenological approach to examine the experiences of six teacher candidates as they endeavored to teach about world religions through a two-semester, intensive internship. Findings Findings, drawn from individual interviews with the candidates, suggest that their efforts to teach about religion were marked by fears, worries and concerns. Additionally, candidates understood their personal religious identities and experiences as significant influences on their experience teaching about religion. Finally, candidates experienced several features of their internship as key supports in their efforts to teach about religion. Originality/value This paper concludes with a series of recommendations for strengthening the preparation of social studies teacher candidates to teach about religion in public school settings.

An analysis of the presentation of Sikhism in social studies textbooks

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-253
Author(s):  
Sean Colbert-Lewis ◽  
Drinda E. Benge
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Studies ◽  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Middle Grades ◽  
National Council ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Religious Literacy ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Studies Textbooks

Purpose The increase of Islamophobia-inspired hate crimes toward Sikh Americans led the Sikh Coalition of America and the National Council for the Social Studies to request social studies educators to conduct a content analysis on the presentation of Sikhism in social studies textbooks. The Sikh Coalition hopes to use the findings of such research to encourage more appropriate inclusion about the religion in textbooks by the leading publishing companies and as a legitimate social studies subject of instruction in the state standards for all 50 states. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The incorporation of critical pedagogy, as a tool of critical multiculturalism, serves as the theoretical design of this study. Content analysis serves as the method of research for this study. The authors also employed an online survey to determine the scope of religious literacy of the pre-service teachers with regard to Sikhism before the conducting of content analysis of social studies textbooks for the presentation of Sikhism. Findings The current presentation of Sikhism in social studies textbooks has the potential to help fuel the Islamophobia that Sikh Americans now face. The authors found that the pre-service teachers possess little religious literacy regarding Sikhism. Furthermore, from the content analyses, the authors found that a total of 21 out of the sample of 32 textbooks (5 elementary, 11 middle grades and 16 high school) mention Sikhism. Eight textbooks include a mention of the origins of Sikhism. Nine textbooks misidentify the religion as a blending of Hinduism and Islam. Nine textbooks mention the religion in relation to the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Research limitations/implications The originality of this research led the authors to find that the very limited and inaccurate information we found present in the most-used textbooks for elementary, middle grades and high school social studies made the employing of inferential statistics like correlation difficult. Also, the authors found from the literature that research addressing Islamophobia in the classroom has centered on the role of licensed teachers only. The research gives a model to how pre-service teachers may address Islamophobia in the classroom and also gain religious literacy regarding Sikhism. Practical implications The rise of Islamophobia-inspired violence toward students of South Asian descent has led to the call to address this matter. The research introduces a method to how social studies education professors may help engage their pre-service teachers in proactively addressing Islamophobia. Social studies professors have a responsibility to help promote social justice through critical pedagogy that explores the religious literacy of their pre-service teachers beyond Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Social implications The Sikh Coalition, by telephone, has formally acknowledged to the authors that the textbook research has been the most extensive they have received since making their joint request with the National Council for the Social Studies. They have used the research to successfully convince the state education boards of Texas and recently Tennessee to adopt the inclusion of Sikhism in social studies content. More Americans, at a young age, need to learn about Sikh culture, so they are less likely to develop prejudicial ideas about Sikh Americans and commit violent acts of religious-based discrimination. Originality/value The research is extremely rare. To date, no one else in the country has conducted research on the presentation of Sikhism in textbooks to the extent that the authors have. The authors hope that the research will encourage more dialogue and further research. The authors hope that the research will help prevent further acts of religious-based violence toward followers of the world’s sixth largest religion.

Elementary classroom libraries and social studies trade books

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-27
Author(s):  
Tracey S. Hodges ◽  
Katherine Landau Wright ◽  
Julianne M. Coleman ◽  
Holly Hilboldt Swain ◽  
Claire Schweiker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Elementary Classroom ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
National Council ◽  
Trade Books ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Classroom Libraries ◽  
K 12

Purpose Standards and policy changes in K-12 education have created the unintended consequence of reducing instructional time spent on social studies content. This limited time devoted to social studies presumably has led to more integrated social studies and literacy instruction. The purpose of this paper is to document the types of high-quality social studies children’s books found in classroom libraries across five states. Design/methodology/approach In the present mixed methods study, the researchers utilized a database of 60 classroom libraries across five states to identify which high-quality trade books, defined by the National Council for the Social Studies, were present. The researchers document trends in both frequencies of books and social studies content across decades, classrooms, grade levels and states from 1972 to 2015. Findings The findings indicate that National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Notable Trade Books for Young People texts are largely missing from the elementary classroom libraries the researchers sampled. Of the 5,544 unique titles included on the NCSS lists from 1972 to 2015, 453 were located in the US classroom libraries database, representing 8.17 percent of books found on the notable lists. Originality/value Before teachers can take steps toward integrating social studies and literacy, they need easy access to high-quality social studies texts. Many high-quality trade books are recommended each year for exposing students to social studies content; however, the researchers found limited numbers of these books in classroom libraries. The researchers recommend the lists be circulated to a wider audience to inform more teachers about these texts.

Transnational immigrant entrepreneurship: effects of home-country entrepreneurial ecosystem factors

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carson Duan ◽  
Bernice Kotey ◽  
Kamaljeet Sandhu
Keyword(s):  
Home Country ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ecosystem ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Immigrant Entrepreneurship ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policies And Programs

PurposeThe purpose of this theoretical paper is to explore how immigrants' home-country entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) factors impact transnational immigrant entrepreneurs (TIEs). The paper draws on the dual embeddedness and transnational entrepreneurship theories to explore how the home-country EE influences transnational immigrant entrepreneurship (TIE).Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted a qualitative case study methodology involving content analysis of secondary data. It analyzed data set against the existing EE framework to constructively explore the home-country effects.FindingsThe findings reveal that all home-country EE domains and associated factors affect TIEs. The paper established six testable propositions with regard to the home-country EE domains: accessible market, human capital, social culture, infrastructure and business support and government policies. A number of new factors were identified for each home-country EE domain. Finally, the paper provided future research directions.Research limitations/implicationsCare has to be taken in generalizing the findings from this research due to the small sample of contemporary Chinese immigrants in Australia and New Zealand. The propositions also require empirical testing.Practical implicationsThe findings contribute to the TIE literature by identifying new factors of the home-country EE and presenting testable propositions. The results have impact on immigration policies and programs.Social implicationsTransnational immigrant entrepreneurship can be a pathway to help immigrants to integrate into mainstream society. The findings from this article indirectly contribute to immigrant social development.Originality/valueThis original article fills research gaps by analyzing how home-country EE elements affect TIE. It reveals that the EE framework is effective for investigating it.

Shifting feminisms

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Marcia Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethnographic Interviews ◽  
Values And Beliefs ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Gendered Expectations ◽  
Shed Light

Purpose The paper aims to shed light on how a group of feminist managers/leaders, in education and social studies departments, a notably under-explored and under-theorised group, “do power” in the increasingly corporatized education marketplace. Design/methodology/approach The research draws on the narratives of a small group of feminist women who hold authority positions at middle or senior levels. It draws on data from ethnographic interviews and participant observation carried out as part of an in-depth narrative inquiry (Andrews et al., 2008), carried out at three higher education institutions in the UK. Findings From a small sample such as this, any findings are necessarily tentative. Nonetheless, findings suggest that, whilst taking account of individual differences in styles, there has been a shift, over time, in the ways that the management role is approached by some feminist women. Analysis of the data also reveals that gendered expectations remain for those who carry the “feminist” label and asks whether these expectations are realistic. Research limitations/implications The sample group is small which raises questions about what can and cannot be claimed. However, along with Maguire (2008), the author’s purpose is not with generalizability but seeks to explore issues and open up further areas of study. Originality/value This paper is an original empirical research which explores an under-researched group of women, namely, feminist managers and leaders who operate within the education marketplace. As they negotiate the challenges of working within the neoliberal academy, these women try, to varying degrees, to remain true to their feminist values and beliefs.

iCurator

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 310-324
Author(s):  
Andrea Watson-Canning
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Visual Literacy ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Constructivist Learning ◽  
The Internet ◽  
National Council ◽  
Historical Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide secondary social studies practitioners with a research-based adaptable lesson plan aligned with the National Council for the Social Studies Thematic Strands and its C3 Framework incorporating the digitized collection of the National Gallery of Art and Visual Thinking Strategies to foster historical understanding through a student-driven process of online gallery curation. Design/methodology/approach The author describes the connections between constructivist learning and technology integration in the classroom, linking technological, visual, and social studies literacy. The internet mediates student experience. It is both text-based and image-saturated; therefore, it is important for students to develop fluency with the written word and visual literacy. To remain technologically relevant, teachers must harness the potential of the internet to aid students with the development of their analytic and evaluative skills. The paper outlines an adaptable method for incorporating technology and art into social studies classroom practice in order to build visual literacy, historical understanding, and skills in evidence-based research. Findings The National Council for the Social Studies has outlined various analytic, communicative, and evaluative skills that students should acquire for social studies literacy. This paper provides insight as to how utilizing digitized collections of artwork has the potential to engage students in active, constructivist learning in order to acquire social studies literacy. Originality/value The paper is of value to secondary practitioners who wish to incorporate visual art, technology, and constructivist learning techniques in their classrooms.

Using found poetry to cultivate student literacy, empathy, and creativity

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-348
Author(s):  
Jennifer Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Secondary Classrooms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Historical Empathy ◽  
College Board ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Found Poetry

Purpose The emphasis on primary sources and disciplinary literacy skills in not only the Common Core State Standards, but other national curricula (i.e. College Board exams and the NCSS C3 Framework) requires that teachers continue to find ways to integrate these skills into their elementary and secondary classrooms. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This paper introduces a cross-disciplinary approach that integrates primary source reading skills and the arts to cultivate student literacy and creativity though the writing of found poems. Findings Found poetry activities based on social studies primary sources allow students to practice literacy skills, engage more deeply with social studies content, and also may encourage the development of historical empathy toward the experiences and perspectives of distant peoples and events. Practical implications After reading and analyzing primary sources, students can create and present their found poems in diverse formats which allows for student expression and creativity in the classroom. Teachers can easily modify found poetry activities to meet the needs of diverse learners. Originality/value This paper fulfills the identified need to increase literacy skills and incorporate more student participation in the classroom. Using the strategy of student-inspired found poems, primary sources become more tangible and meaningful to students. Found poems offer yet another way to integrate the arts into social studies education.

Supporting English learners in secondary social studies classrooms through collaboration

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-260
Author(s):  
Anthony Pellegrino ◽  
Clara Lee Brown
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Social Studies ◽  
General Education ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Student Population ◽  
Informational Texts ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resource Teachers ◽  
Secondary Social Studies

PurposeThe number of English learners (ELs) has increased dramatically in the public schools across the nation. In 2000, 3.8 m students, or approximately 8% of the US public school student population, were identified as ELs. In 2016, the number reached 4.9 m or 9.6% of the general student population. In some states, the rise in the EL population has been even more pronounced. Their increased presence in content classes poses opportunities as well as great challenges for teachers. As these learners are learning fundamental language skills, they are also responsible for learning content and skills associated with various disciplines. In social studies, it includes developing a foundational understanding of US history, geography and government, while also developing the ability to comprehend, analyze and evaluate complex informational texts, which include contextualized language, low-incidence concepts and discrete facts.Design/methodology/approachOne way schools are adapting practice for ELs is through collaboration between general education and EL resource teachers. This article reports findings from interviews with a high school social studies teacher and an English as a second language (ESL) colleague.FindingsThe collaboration between these two teachers illustrated how specific strategies thoughtfully designed, yet sensibly implemented, can help teachers feel effective and empowered in their social studies classes. Their story also highlighted ways they have worked together in spite of the system confines.Originality/valueTogether, the authors hope their experiences inform teachers, teacher educators and school leaders about the importance of adapting practices for ELs in social studies and the power of collaboration to make those efforts successful.

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