Teaching About Economic Inequality Across the High School Curriculum

• In Event: Roundtable Session 56

Session Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

The high school curriculum is expected to develop citizens capable of assessing evidence about the contentious problems facing diverse democracies. Given the impact of growing economic inequality on social, political, and economic life, surprisingly little empirical work has been conducted regarding teaching and learning about economic inequality. The papers in this session report findings from a 2015 mixed-methods (including surveys and interviews), bi-national study of 3000 social studies, English, and math teachers at representative U.S. and Canadian public and private high schools. The papers examine whether, how, and why U.S. and Canadian high school teachers in different subject disciplines address economic inequality as well as the ideological implications of curricular choices, community context, and teacher background and beliefs.

Sub Unit

• Division B - Curriculum Studies / Division B - Section 4: People and Politics (The Who of Curriculum)

Chair

• Joseph E. Kahne, Mills College

Papers

• Teaching About Economic Inequality in Secondary Mathematics - Mary Candace Raygoza, University of California - Los Angeles; Megan L. Franke, University of California - Los Angeles

• Lessons on Economic Inequality in the Language Arts Curriculum - Agata Soroko, University of Ottawa; Matthew Brillinger, University of Ottawa

• Social Issues in the Social Studies: Teaching Economic Inequality in U.S. and Canadian High Schools - Anthony A Berryman, University of California - Los Angeles; Anton Birioukov, University of Ottawa; Michael Ishimoto, University of California - Los Angeles

• Teaching About Economic Inequality in a Diverse Democracy: Politics, Ideology, and Difference - John S. Rogers, University of California - Los Angeles; Joel Westheimer, University of Ottawa