Inquiry in Social Studies Curricula in French-Language Settings

• In Event: 77.057 - MTCC Roundtable Session 35
  In Roundtable Session: 77.057-10 - Professional Development Through an International Lens

Abstract

This comparative, cross-national curriculum study investigated the nature of inquiry in the 5th grade or equivalent social studies curricula in French language settings across three countries: France, the United States, and Canada. The curricula were compared with the NCSS C3 Framework’s inquiry arc and mined for the explicit and implicit presence of inquiry in the form of action verbs that guide students’ learning. Findings indicate all curricula supported inquiry-based learning through the social studies content domains of civics, economics, history, and geography. Inquiry was applied through the examination of the unique historical events that were foundational to the formation of the respective nations and included the cultivation of inquiry-based skills that foster civic competence.

Authors

• Natalie Elizabeth Keefer, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

• Michelle Georgette Haj-Broussard, University of Louisiana at Lafayette