Republic of the Philippines

University of Eastern Philippines

University Town, Northern Samar

GRADUATE STUDIES
Master of Education Major in Social Studies

SELECTED TOPICS IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES FOR SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS

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SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION- OVERVIEW, PREPARATION OF TEACHERS
REPORTER: ROSE AURA O. HERIALES
PROFESSOR: MRS. ENA BAROJABO

What is Social Studies?

National Council for the Social Studies, the largest professional association for social studies educators in
the world, defines social studies as:
“the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence. Within the
school program, social studies provide coordinated, systematic study drawing upon such disciplines as
anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology,
religion, and sociology, as well as appropriate content from the humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences.
The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the
public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. “

What is the aim of Social Studies?

 The aim of social studies is the promotion of civic competence—the knowledge, intellectual processes,
and democratic dispositions required of students to be active and engaged participants in public life.
Although civic competence is not the only responsibility of social studies nor is it exclusive to the field,
it is more central to social studies than to any other subject area in schools.

What is the Purpose of the National Curriculum Standards?

The National Council for the Social Studies was founded in 1921, and is the largest organization in the
United States to focus exclusively on social studies education. Historically, the organization was established as
a coordinating entity and clearing-house. It evolved at a time when social studies were immersed in
disagreement on scope and sequence. Dissent ensued among teacher educators and content specialists, and
certification requirements in the social studies were nonexistent. The founders, comprised of professors from
Teachers College at Columbia University, envisioned NCSS as the unifying organization that could merge the
social studies disciplines with education.
At the start of the twenty-first century NCSS plays a leadership role in promoting an integrated study of
the social studies and offers support and services to its members. The membership includes K–12 teachers,
curriculum specialists, content supervisors, college and university faculty, students, and education leaders in the
social studies. The organization has members in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and numerous foreign
countries. It draws on multidisciplinary studies and emphasizes a civic-based approach.
The council has articulated a framework to foster academic and civic competence by integrating national
standards across disciplines. These NCSS standards are published in Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum
Standards for Social Studies, and serve as a guide for decision-making by social studies educators. They have
integrated approaches from the social sciences, behavioral sciences, and humanities to aid in structuring a
comprehensive and effective social studies program. Ten themes are highlighted in the framework, which
include culture; people, places and environments; individuals, groups, and institutions; production, distribution,
and consumption; global connections; time, continuity, and change; individual development and identity;
power, authority, and governance; science, technology, and society; and civic ideals and practices. The council
also has developed position statements to guide the profession on critical areas of education, such as ability
grouping, character education, ethics, information literacy, multicultural and global education, religion, and
testing.

The Ten Themes are organizing strands for social studies programs. The ten themes are:
1. Culture
2. Time, Continuity and Change
3. People, Places, and Environments
4. Individual Development and Identity 
5. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
6. Power, Authority and Governance 
7. Production, Distribution and Consumption
8. Science, Technology and Society 
9. Global Connections 
10.Civic Ideals and Practices

The Role of Social Studies in the Curriculum

ELEMENTARY SOCIAL STUDIES

In the early 1940s, Paul Hanna articulated the Expanding Communities approach as the vehicle in
elementary education by which teachers could best present social studies knowledge. For the most part, Hanna's
model has been characterized as organizing the content as a series of concentric circles starting with the self at
the center and progressing to the family, school, neighborhood, until reaching the international community. It
also provided a thematic approach to the content: protecting and conserving; creating, governing, producing
resources, transporting, expressing, educating, recreating, and communicating. The content approach still
dominates elementary education, but the thematic approach has largely disappeared.
Eric D. Hirsch's (1987) concept of core knowledge has gained some footing as an alternative to the
Hanna model. Hirsch proposes a core of information that every American should know. The core knowledge
approach relies heavily on world (some would characterize this as primarily European) and U.S. history and
culture, democratic ideology, geography, and literature that amplify the human experience; the content is
organized to introduce students to subject matter at all grades but at different degrees of intensity.

SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES

The 1960s brought significant changes to the middle school and high school curricula with the
introduction of the elective system. Courses in subjects like anthropology, economics, sociology, and
psychology were added to a curriculum that had formally been primarily limited to world history, world
geography, government, and U.S. history. Advanced Placement courses were also introduced.
In 1994 NCSS published Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Citing
the need to promote civic ideals and principles for life in the twenty-first century, the standards consisted of ten
interdisciplinary thematic strands as a guide for developing social studies curriculum.

ISSUES AND CONTROVERSIES

Since its very inception, social studies education has weathered a number of controversies and
challenges. The core idea of an integrated field of study has been under scrutiny since its earliest days. The
field's eclectic nature not only draws on a wide range of disciplines, but also attracts continuing debate and
conflict.
Conflicts regarding new teaching and learning strategies still abound. For example, role-playing and
simulations, guided imagery, cooperative learning, and technology-based learning have all received their share
of criticism and opposition.
 The content of the social studies curriculum has also been the source of debate and disagreement. When
the National Center for History in the Schools published National Standards for World History: Exploring Paths
to the Present in 1994, some educators charged that the standards were too inclusive; others claimed that certain
groups were omitted altogether. Other controversies center on the plausibility of a national curriculum and the
ongoing development of state-level standards, mandates, and high-stakes testing.
Debates surrounding culture continue in the teaching of history, geography, ethnic studies, and
multicultural education. While many educators support a cultural relativist position, many others argue that "the
mission of public schools is to instill in children our shared, not our separate, cultures" These "culture wars" (as
termed by Nash, Crabtree, and Dunn) have resulted in a rich, intellectual, and academic debate that will
hopefully illuminate the field. Global education and international studies have also been criticized for their
emphases on issues and events outside the United States' borders. Critics charge that global studies advance
cultural relativism, minimize patriotism, and emphasize skills at the expense of content. Advocates point out,
however, that national borders are becoming less relevant in the face of technology, international politics, and
environmental issues.

THE FUTURE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES

Technology has gained prominence as a tool within the social studies with the potential to enhance
current pedagogic practice. Although an increasing body of research suggests that technology can improve
academic achievement, changes in social studies instruction based on these findings have been tempered by the
following:
(1) questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of computer technology applications in the
classroom;
(2) the role of teacher education institutions and school settings in facilitating or hindering computer-
based activities;
(3) the unrealized potential of technology; and
(4) the overlooked consequences of technological development on children and youth with regard to
their social functioning, interpersonal interactions, and global understanding. Various technologies such as
Internet and web-based resources, hypermedia, data instruments, digital video, and tele-collaborative teaching
represent emerging resources implemented in social studies instruction.

Technology, however, is more than just a tool of instruction, and these resources have effects on the
political, social, and economic functioning of American society. Technology's impact on society is exemplified
in the phenomenon of the digital divide that separates those who are information rich through their access to
telecommunications, computers, and the Internet from the information and technologically poor. Within the
social studies educators focus on the differential impact of privileged access to these resources in the early
stages of development and consider the potential ongoing consequences of this separation of haves and have-
nots on economic success, civic influence, and personal advancement.
Social studies education will continue to evolve as it is affected by events and trends in the United States
and abroad. These include the globalization of the media and the economy, advancements in technology, shifts
in schools and school demographics, teacher accreditation standards, student testing mandates, changes in the
American family, and swings of the political pendulum. These forces will certainly impact ideological
perspectives and influence the direction of the social studies in the future.

PREPARATION OF TEACHERS IN TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES

IN-SERVICE AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Professional development occurs in both formal and informal ways. Informally, students, the school
culture, collegial interactions, administrative interaction, and support all work in powerful ways to shape the
development of teachers. Formal mechanisms explicitly aimed at guiding teacher development are in place as
well. These are some of the issues:
 A. Teacher induction programs. These programs are intended to provide support for beginning
teachers as they deal with day-to-day challenges. Often, a beginning teacher is paired with an experienced
teacher who serves as an advisor, guide, and sounding board. The goal of teacher induction programs is to both
assist and retain novice teachers and revitalize mentor teachers. But little is known about the making of
effective mentors and mentor programs.

B. School districts is the school or district-developed in-service program. Once again, there is no
common program model. Such programs may be one-day presentations or yearlong sustained efforts. They may
be built around the idea of teachers working together to improve their teaching or they may rely on outside
experts who make an occasional appearance. Teachers may see these programs as meeting their needs or as
completely irrelevant.
There is the expectation, in many states and school districts that teachers will continue to do graduate
work in their teaching field or in professional education. While teachers in such programs are expected to find
useful ways to apply what they learn to their teaching practice, there is generally little support in the classroom
for these efforts. Some teachers find that membership in professional associations, such as the National Council
for the Social Studies, is a meaningful form of professional development. Reading journals, attending
conferences and workshops, and working with other teachers in one's own field are important benefits of getting
involved with professional associations. However, not all schools and school districts are supportive of teacher
involvement in professional associations. Districts often expect membership in professional associations to be at
the teacher's own cost and on the teacher's own time. Some districts will discourage teachers from taking time
from their teaching to attend professional association meetings and conferences, while others support such
efforts as a form of professional renewal.

C. Certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is a challenging form
of professional development voluntarily undertaken by experienced teachers. National board certification in
social studies, as in other fields, is based on a demonstration of a teacher's practice as measured against high and
rigorous standards. Yet, states and school districts differ in the support they give to teachers seeking board
certification and in the ways in which they recognize those who achieve certification through this rigorous
process.

MAJOR TRENDS AND ISSUES

 The growing interest in accountability for both teachers and students
 Appropriate use of technology both in teacher education programs and in K–12 classrooms.
 Preparing teachers to effectively teach culturally and linguistically diverse students.