Colonial Discourses: Challenging Dominant Narratives in U.S. History Curriculum

• In Event: 66.088 - Sheraton Roundtable 13 - Osgoode Ballroom
  In Roundtable Session: 66.088-1 - Learning Against Oppressive Structures

Abstract

One of the political forces shaping curriculum studies, in particular at the K-12 level, is how to challenge dominant narratives in US history curriculum. Scholarship on US history curriculum in the US routinely finds that colonizer perspectives dominate textbooks and content standards, which affects classroom experiences. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to critically analyze and understand where the curriculum succeeds in challenging dominant narratives, where it fails, and how students make meaning of these concepts in their own learning. Initial findings suggest that while the dominant narrative is challenged during discussion, the curriculum and students’ understanding still reflect the narrative that privileges colonial contributions as the only important ones in the development of the US.

Author

• Stephanie Masta, Purdue University