The Social Studies Discourse Instrument: Validating an Observation Tool for Social Studies Classroom Discussions

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:40 am Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Socializing the Social Studies Classroom: Redefining Engagement With Collaborative Practices (Table 1)

Abstract

This paper introduces the Social Studies Discourse Instrument (SSDI), a novel observation tool for whole-class discussions in social studies. The SSDI assesses three domains of classroom discourse: teachers’ discursive moves, students’ discursive moves, and indicators of students’ social studies learning. To validate the SSDI, we scored 60 videotaped discussions facilitated by pre-service teachers (N=15), calculated interrater reliability, and conducted exploratory factor analysis and qualitative review. Findings affirm the value of the SSDI for an array of contexts. The SSDI provides a much-needed tool for analyzing and improving social studies discussions, offering opportunities for teachers, teacher educators, and scholars to enhance student discourse and learning in social studies classrooms.

Authors

• Lightning Jay, Binghamton University - SUNY

• Abby Reisman, University of Pennsylvania

• Timothy Patterson, Temple University

• Wendy Chan, University of Pennsylvania

• Jenni Conrad, Oregon State University