A Critical Lens for Elementary Social Studies Inquiry

• In Event: 66.082 - Creating a Continual Cycle of Justice-Oriented Citizens: Examining the Use of Inquiry Learning in Pre-K–16

Abstract

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) (2017) states, “The purpose of elementary social studies is to enable students to understand, participate in, and make informed decisions about their world” (p. 1).  Teaching the multiple, diverse histories of the peoples in the United States is one way to examine, interrogate, and understand our pluralistic society (e.g., Takaki, 2008). Additionally, foregrounding the role of groups and social movements, rather than individuals positioned as heroes, affords young children a vision of working collaboratively to make positive social change (Kohl, 2007) as justice-oriented citizens (Westheimer & Kahne, 2004b). This study examines how a novice elementary teacher challenged dominant narratives of history and citizenship by teaching through a critical lens.  
This paper draws on critical democratic education and teacher decision-making.  Critical democratic education moves beyond teaching thin conceptions of democracy that focus on the individual's role within a democracy and the formal structures / processes of democracy, e.g., voting, and toward thick democracy, wherein the individual is inextricably linked to the community and issues of social (in)justice (Barber, 1984; Carr, 2010; Gandin & Apple, 2005). Theories of teacher decision-making (Cornbleth, 1985, 1997; Thornton, 1991) highlight this teacher’s curriculum-in-use decisions that supported a more robust, critical approach to elementary social studies, particularly as it supports critical democratic education.  
Using case study (Stake, 1995), this research examined the bounded case of Ms. Vine and her two classes of fifth-grade students.  Occurring at a single university-affiliated charter school in a large, southwestern U.S. city, this site and particular population were chosen through purposeful sampling for the teacher’s use of a critical frame to teach elementary social studies.  She self-identified as white, female, and anti-racist and centered diverse histories of the United States. The two classes of fifth graders were majority Latinx and African-American students. Data collection included observations with field notes, artifact collection (teacher and student work samples), three semi-structured interviews with Ms. Vine, and informal interviews after classroom observations captured in field notes.  Analysis used a constant comparative method of content analysis (Miles, Huberman & Saldaña, 2014).
I examine three inquiry projects: 1) group historical inquiry about the Civil Rights / Chicano Rights Movements, 2) individual research into “hidden figures” in women’s history and current events, and 3) end-of-year group social action projects, which focused on issues of students’ choice that were subsequently presented to the school community. Looking across three inquiry projects over the course of their year of social studies learning, I argue that young students are capable of applying a critical framework to social studies historical inquiries, and that they can use those same skills to make connections and interrogate current social issues.  Additionally, by beginning from a position of questioning the dominant narrative, teachers can construct more inclusive and robust inquiries into history and civic education focused on experiences of people historically marginalized from the curriculum (e.g., people of color, women, youth). The findings offer insight into how elementary social studies might reframe historical and civic inquiry through critical theories.

Author

• Katherina Ann Payne, The University of Texas at Austin