Seeing the Forest Through the Trees: Some Renewed Thinking on Dispositions Specific to Social Studies Education

Abstract

Too often, social studies educators are asked to focus their design and enactment of learning experiences on the mastery of content knowledge, often at the expense of other aims and goals. In response to this problem, the authors of this article explore the reclamation of dispositions in social studies curriculum planning and teaching. First, he authors clarify what is meant by dispositions in the social studies. Then, by drawing on seminal works in the field, they ofter a taxonomy of social studies dispositions in order to assist preservice and in-service teachers to consciously plan for dispositional development. Finally, the authors detail how these dispositions can be operationlized within a series of practical examples.

Powerful Social Studies Unit Design: A Companion to Powerful Social Studies Teaching and Learning

“…In addition, both NCSS and teacher education programs tend to focus on the second question (designing lessons) at the expense of the third (designing units). Given the strong focus on assessment and provocative designs of educational experiences, this article seeks to refocus attention toward effective organization of educational experiences consistent with NCSS and prevent assessment "washback" (Messick 1996, 241) from dictating aims and purposes, which often results in the atomization of content knowledge for test preparation (Misco and Shiveley 2010).…”

“…" By problematizing what causation means, with an eye toward developing skepticism, Downloaded by [Selcuk Universitesi] at 16:30 08 February 2015 embracing ambiguity, building curiosity, and experimenting with different hypotheses, students build openmindedness, cooperative learning groups charged with making the case that different short-and long-term causes were the cause of this war(Misco and Shiveley 2010). A further exploration of the impact of the Treaty of Westphalia (1648), the Congress of Vienna (1814), the Treaty of Frankfort…”

Controversial Issue Instruction in Context: A Social Studies Education Response to the Problem of the Public

“…Reflective inquiry is the method of intelligence in a democracy, and its consistent and pervasive employment can bring about a great number of the skills and dispositions needed for democratic citizenship, as well as the development of higher-order thinking skills (Misco & Shiveley, 2010). Dewey (1933) defined reflective thinking as the "active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in light of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends" (p. 9).…”

Civic Education in West Virginia: Guidelines and State Standards in a Case Study

“…Or is the aim of education to teach the next generation how to work, live, and succeed in a community? With the emphasis on accountability, civics education has been marginalized in favor of reading and mathematics instruction (Misco & Shiveley, 2010;Doppen, Misco, & Patterson, 2008). These questions should not live in opposition to one another but should be seen as complimentary aims.…”

“…In civics, knowledge of political and governmental structures tends to be emphasized. Misco and Shiveley argue, "it would seem that creating learning experiences for students that foster the development of dispositional commitments including incontrovertible and democratic rights of liberty, opportunity, and dissent, as well as freedoms of participation, inquiry, expression, and worship, are much easier to prescribe than enact" (Misco & Shiveley, 2010).…”