Influence of Current Sociopolitical Climate on Social Studies Instructional Gatekeepers’ Implementation of Culturally Responsive Practices

• In Event: Navigating Identity, Politics, and Resistance: Social Studies Educators Confronting Discomfort in a Polarized World

Abstract

This study explored the influence of the current socio-political climate on social studies instructional gatekeepers’ implementation of culturally responsive practices. I adopted the teacher as a curricular-instructional gatekeeper framework. As a qualitative case study, I utilized interviews, 200 hours of classroom observation, and document analysis as data sources. The findings revealed that the present happenings influence social studies instructional gatekeepers’ implementation of culturally responsive practices by presenting difficulty in exposing certain topics to diverse learners, limiting classroom participation for responsive teaching, increasing workload in planning responsive lessons, and becoming a better teacher in a culturally diverse classroom. Further research should be conducted to explore how professional development training shapes social studies teachers amidst the growing legislation in the United States.

Author

• Godwin Gyimah, University of Montana