JOHN. S. CRUMB I IGEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY

DR. CAROLINE SULLIVAN

How Can Sixth Grade Teachers Overcome Gaps in Students’

Understanding of Social Studies?

The Issue

Most elementary students enter middle school with a lack of knowledge in the social studies.

Reasons for the gaps: NCLB has inspired administrators and teachers to shift resources

away from social studies and other subjects to math, science and language arts.

Social studies is seen by many students to be tedious and not engaging- no connection with the students’ world.

Elementary teachers are not prepared to teach social studies because of a lack of content knowledge or training.

Some teachers may have a dislike for social studies because of their experience with it in growing up.

Some are afraid to deal with controversial issues.

Some short-term and not-so-short-term solutions in elementary schools

Usually taught through integration with other subjects like reading

Student centered approachCommunicate how important social studies isAdministrators-provide more interactive material with

workshopsProfessional DevelopmentProfessional Learning Communities

Realistically, it is up to middle and high school teachers

Keys to success:•Collaboration on a regular basis….develop a sense of trust

“Quality teaching is not an individual accomplishment, it is the result of a collaborative culture that empowers teachers to team up to improve student learning beyond what any of them can achieve alone” Caroll, 2009, p.13

•Join Professional Learning Communities•Get over the typical!---20th century…teacher centered, cover the textbook, supplement with lectures and an occasional video, teacher talk during discussions, individual seatwork interrupted with occasional small group work and the use of tests to measure student learning (McCall, 2006, p.161)•Focus on a few KEY concepts

Primary Research- Mixed Model Approach

Qualitative section:Interviews with 3 social studies teachersParent comments made at conferencesQuantitative section: Survey of 88 sixth grade students

Teacher Interviews and Parent Comments

Strengths of incoming sixth graders-recall/memorization, reading comprehension

All 3 teachers cited a weakness in geographic skills, higher level thinking skills, -can’t connect isolated facts to the big picture---how is it connected?

Reasons---perceived or actual lack of social studies being taught…reliance on textbook and answer the questions…Teachers lack the time for planning-45 minutes for 5 content areas…4days/week.

Parents-at a loss because the textbook is no longer the main source…problems with taking notes and organizing

Most students received 36 minutes of social studies a day

Future studies investigate how that time is used

Quantitative Section

Limitations and a Solution?

Time constraints-3 monthsLimited to one teacher’s classes, self reporting and

memoriesNo elementary teacher inputFlawed instrument designMisunderstanding of instructionsSolution?----vertical teaming

Survey

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