Teaching Controversial Issues in the Social Studies: A Research Study of High School Teachers

Byford, Jeff; Lennon, Sean; Russell, William B.

doi:10.3200/tchs.82.4.165-170

Cited by 83 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…This result is parallel to the study's qualitative aspect. During the observation sessions, it was observed that students stated their parents' or relatives' ideas and opinions as their own when discussing social and political issues (Byford, Lennon & Russell, 2009). It was also observed that the students preferred to bring issues from their own lives into the classroom, and they used explanations and examples from their own lives in discussing controversial issues.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet students may have inadequacies in discussing various issues and defending their own ideas through logical thinking, and may even act on information that does not reflect their own thinking. It also appears that, while students are interested in political and social issues, they often present their parents' or close relatives' opinions as if they were their own (Byford, Lennon & Russell, 2009). All these situations prevent students from becoming effective decision-making citizens.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Social Studies Teachers’ Opinions and Practices Regarding Teaching Controversial Issues

Kuş¹,

Öztürk²

2019

AJTE

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In today's globalised world, many issues have become controversial. These controversial issues affect society and the individuals who form them. It is inevitable that these topics are brought into social studies classrooms, because this learning area is profoundly related to society. Social studies teachers' behaviours, attitudes, and professional knowledge are crucial in teaching controversial issues. The goal of this study was to investigate social studies teachers' opinions and practices regarding teaching controversial issues in Turkey. The study utilised a mixed method in which both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. The quantitative data for this study were collected from 646 social studies teachers in different cities in Turkey. The qualitative data were collected through observation of eight social studies teachers who were working in schools situated in areas at four different socioeconomic levels in the Kirsehir province. The content analysis method was used to analyse the qualitative data. The results indicated that there are differences between the teachers' opinions and their practices in teaching controversial issues. The study also found that teachers are faced with academic, professional, and emotional challenges in teaching controversial issues.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Social Studies Teachers’ Opinions and Practices Regarding Teaching Controversial Issues

Kuş¹,

Öztürk²

2019

AJTE

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“…Teachers generally believe students want to engage controversial issues (Byford, Lennon, & Russell, 2009), but they often lack confidence to respond to divisive issues and therefore avoid them or divert them from the present (Barton & McCully, 2005), want to avoid indoctrinating students into a particular viewpoint (Hess, 2008), or defer to the school context and culture for determining whether they will broach controversial issues (Misco & Patterson, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…They are therefore epiphenomenal to the characteristics surrounding the controversial issue as situated and embedded within particular subcultures. Teachers often consider controversial issue instruction to be counterproductive, yet they do view controversial issues as important so long as their professional career is not endangered (Byford et al, 2009), due to their "subversive hew" (McCully, 2006, p. 58). Theoretically and holistically teachers see value of controversial issue instruction, but pragmatically problems and obstacles undermine their effective instruction (Byford et al, 2009) and other teachers are more "pragmatic and resilient to institutional buffeting" and more prepared to work with and challenge irrational thinking from any quarter (McCully, 2006, p. 63).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“We are only looking for the right answers”: the challenges of controversial issue instruction in South Korea

Misco

2014

Asia Pacific Journal of Education

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This study explores the perceptions of South Korean moral and social studies education teachers, teacher educators, and students on the promises and challenges of introducing and discussing controversial issues within their classrooms. The findings suggest that college entrance exams, textbooks, didacticism, dualism, administrators, textbooks, standards, fear of bias, scant instructional time, and reticent classroom climates collectively undermine controversial instruction in South Korea The few pathways that counter these challenges include student-generated curriculum topics and tying lessons to current events. Similar to other democratic societies, South Korea's paucity of reflective thinking on controversial issues represents a clear hazard to the development of citizens who make informed and reasoned decisions for the common good.

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“…The average of 2,7 ratio also contributes to this scene. In literature, there are researches which defend the idea that because of both the sensitiveness of the topic (Akman, 2016;Byford, Lennon, & Russel, 2009;Demircioğlu, 2016;Hess, 2004;Kaya, Güven, & Günal, 2013;Philpott, Clabough, McConey, & Turner, 2011;Reitano, Kivunja, & Porter, 2008;Seng & Jaffar, 2014;Stradling, Noctor, & Baines, 1984;Waliaula, 2011;Zembylas & Kambani, 2012) and that it is a method that is time consuming and requires being prepared (Dean & Joldoshaieva, 2007;Dube, 2015;McKernan, 1982;Merryfield, 1993;Oulton, Day, Dillon, & Marcus, 2004;Waliaula, 2011), social studies teachers do not include this method in classes very much while teaching controversial topics.…”

Section: Conclusion and Suggestionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Level of History Teachers’ Use Active Learning Methods and Technics

Yildirim¹,

Akman²,

Alagöz³

2017

IES

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An experience theory is required if the education is to be wisely carried out (John Dewey). Education is a discipline that saves lives if it is qualified, but loss of which could not be made up throughout generations if it is not qualified. The roots of society are based on the education, and educated masses and civilizations could either move into the future or could fall behind in the race of becoming civilized. The classical education notion which stays on the level of theory and is carried out, centering the teacher is being left by the developed countries and replaced with the education notion which centers the student and structures information by benefiting from experiences, thus aims to lead civilization race with citizens knowing the ways to reach the information and aware of their duties and responsibilities. While Kurt Lewin says nothing is as practical as a good theory, he also catches attention to the new education notion centering student that has changed and is changing. In this scope, the aim of this study is analyze how often active learning methods are used by history teachers through several variables. In the light of the data, after analysis results and explanations made in accordance with these results are written, the study is concluded with suggestions

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Teaching Controversial Issues in the Social Studies: A Research Study of High School Teachers

Cited by 83 publications

References 7 publications

Social Studies Teachers’ Opinions and Practices Regarding Teaching Controversial Issues

Social Studies Teachers’ Opinions and Practices Regarding Teaching Controversial Issues

“We are only looking for the right answers”: the challenges of controversial issue instruction in South Korea

The Level of History Teachers’ Use Active Learning Methods and Technics

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