Conclusion
Anecdotally, teachers across the country are beginning to recognize the value of assessment to increase exposure to social studies. In May 2012, the Governor of Maryland signed into law a bill mandating that all seniors pass a state assessment on government prior to graduating (Dresser, 2012; Maryland House of Delegates 1227, 2012). The law also requires the state school board to develop and implement middle school social studies assessments by the 2014-2015 academic year. Interestingly, it was classroom teachers and other social studies professionals who advocated for the return of state assessments in order to bolster support for the much-maligned subject area. Traditionally opposed to testing, social educators are now keenly aware of the ongoing and intensified marginalization of social studies in the era of increased standardization and accountability. Marginalization of social studies at the elementary grades negatively impacts students’ opportunities to learn, which in turn can have potentially harmful effects on students’ performance in later grades as well as hinder civic understanding. While the presence of a mandated test remains a significant predictor of the proportion of time spent on social studies, results from our study also indicate that testing at the elementary level is associated with increased use of a range of instructional factors, including discipline-specific teaching. This finding offers promise of pedagogical change toward more historical thinking and inquiry-based activity as advocated in the field. We also infer from our findings that teachers, teacher educators, and proponents of social studies education not directly tied to accountability policymaking can make a substantial contribution to the field by promoting efficacious attitudes, quality integration, and dynamic instructional strategies. More importantly, taking the time to teach social studies at the elementary level is an important step toward guaranteeing that students are exposed to content and skills necessary to becoming productive, engaged members of a democratic society.
บทสรุป Anecdotally, teachers across the country are beginning to recognize the value of assessment to increase exposure to social studies. In May 2012, the Governor of Maryland signed into law a bill mandating that all seniors pass a state assessment on government prior to graduating (Dresser, 2012; Maryland House of Delegates 1227, 2012). The law also requires the state school board to develop and implement middle school social studies assessments by the 2014-2015 academic year. Interestingly, it was classroom teachers and other social studies professionals who advocated for the return of state assessments in order to bolster support for the much-maligned subject area. Traditionally opposed to testing, social educators are now keenly aware of the ongoing and intensified marginalization of social studies in the era of increased standardization and accountability. Marginalization of social studies at the elementary grades negatively impacts students’ opportunities to learn, which in turn can have potentially harmful effects on students’ performance in later grades as well as hinder civic understanding. While the presence of a mandated test remains a significant predictor of the proportion of time spent on social studies, results from our study also indicate that testing at the elementary level is associated with increased use of a range of instructional factors, including discipline-specific teaching. This finding offers promise of pedagogical change toward more historical thinking and inquiry-based activity as advocated in the field. We also infer from our findings that teachers, teacher educators, and proponents of social studies education not directly tied to accountability policymaking can make a substantial contribution to the field by promoting efficacious attitudes, quality integration, and dynamic instructional strategies. More importantly, taking the time to teach social studies at the elementary level is an important step toward guaranteeing that students are exposed to content and skills necessary to becoming productive, engaged members of a democratic society.
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