WHO ARE THE “NEW” SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS OFTODAY?GEORGE LIPSCOMB- FURMAN UNIVERSITY

ALICIA CROWE- KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

PRESENTATION MADE AT THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES ANNUAL CONFERENCE/ BOSTON, MA/ NOVEMBER 21, 2014

BIG QUESTIONS FOR THIS SESSION

1. What can research tell us about the “new” professionals entering the social studies profession?

2. What can we (teacher educators, veteran teachers, administrators, etc.) do to better meet the needs of new teachers?

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION?

Many challenges facing social studies teachers of today :

1. Curriculum/ testing

2. Perception of educators

3. Ever increasing expectations

4. A world with an abundance of information (and how to keep up with it)

SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT WHO OUR NEW TEACHERS ARE?

WHAT WE SEE IN OUR METHODS COURSES

1. A desire to make a difference in the classroom and in the lives of their students

2. Some struggle to fit in to school culture

WHAT WE SEE OUR STUDENTS EXPERIENCING

1. Professional Learning Communities that are more prescriptive

2. More pressure in schools to teach the same lessons as their teachers (middle and high)

3. Little social studies at all or when seen it is by reading a book (elementary)

WHERE WE GOT OUR DATA (THE S4)

GENDER

RACE AND ETHNICITY

CONTROL

Overall, new teachers feel like they have control (at least a great deal or moderate over:

Selecting teaching techniques (96.5%)

Evaluating and Grading Students (94.3%)

Choosing which parts of the curriculum to emphasize (79.1)

Selecting content topics and skills to be taught (57.5%)

New Teachers feel that that have little control over selecting a textbook and other materials (37.6%)

PREFERRED PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGIESStatistically significant with younger teachers using more:

• Cooperative learning (E,M,H)

• Lecture (M,H)

• Answer questions, define from textbook (M, H)

• Group Projects (H)

• Working with Maps and Globes (H)

• Watch videos and film (H)

• Role Playing and Simulations (H)

Statistically significant with older teachers using more:

• Group Projects (E)

• Working with Maps and Globes (E)

• Computer-Based Applications (E, M)

• Examining primary source materials (E)

USE OF SOCIAL STUDIES CONCEPTSMixed bag overall:

New teachers more likely to:

• Discuss issues of race and class (E, H)

• Diversity of religious views (E, H)

• Discuss social and political history (H)

Older teachers more likely to:

• Discuss current events (E)

• Discuss core democratic values (M)

• Learn about the Constitution (M, H)

• Emphasize basic economic concepts (M)

PROFESSIONAL INTENTIONS

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. What are we doing well in teacher education right now?

2. Are there things we can do differently to meet the needs of professionals entering the field?

3. What can we do to attract a greater diversity of new teachers?

4. What characteristics should we seek out in new social studies teachers?