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Volume 10, Number 1
Fall, 1999
Author:
Judy (St. Louis) Cyr
Ms. Cyr is an undergraduate student at the University of Maine, currently finishing her student teaching. She will be pursuing a graduate degree through the College of Education and Human Development at U-Maine beginning in the spring of 2000.
Sources:
Maine Commission on Secondary Education (1998). Promising Futures: a call to improve learning for Maine's secondary students. Augusta, ME: Maine Dept. of Education.
Maine Department of Education (1997). State of Maine Learning Results. Augusta, ME: Maine Department of Education.
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Going to the Source:
The Students' Perspective of Social Studies
Abstract
This report is a result of a field based research I conducted at a Middle School in Central Maine. I interviewed eighth-grade students to find out what it was that they thought teachers could do to help them learn in Social Studies. Among the findings was a learning environment comprised of teacher/student respect, diversity, group projects, classroom discussion, and other hands-on activities. This report entails many insights, thoughts, and quotes, of the students who participated in this research.
Purpose
The purpose of this research, was to find out what social studies teachers can do to enlist interest and involvement of eighth-grade students and to investigate what it is that makes them learn. As a future social studies teacher, it is inherently important to me that the needs of my future students are being met, that I provide an environment in which they are ready and willing to learn, and that I give them the opportunity to be creative in their learning processes. Education is going through tremendous change as we strive for higher expectations and goals for our students. This is evident in Maine's Learning Results, as well as in Promising Futures: A Call to Improve Learning for Maine's Secondary Students, written by the Maine Commission on Secondary Education (Fall 1998). However, expectations and goals will not guarantee student learning. If our students do not want to be in the classroom, there is little we can do that will entice them to want to learn. We must be able to reach the students to ensure learning. So how do we evaluate what it takes to reach students? What can we do to make them want to be in the classroom? What do teachers do (or what can they do) that helps students learn? It is my position that the best way to answer these questions is to go to the source, to ask the students themselves what it is that teachers do (or can do) to enlist their interest and involvement in social studies and to help them learn.
Methodology
I conducted a field-based research that entailed interviewing fifteen eighth-
grade students at a middle school in central Maine. These students were selected from an eighth-grade study hall period, which the principal depicted as a fair representation of the rest of the eighth-grade class. The students were largely from a low socioeconomic community and the low school budget was reflected in the appearance of the school building, which needs many repairs. The interview process involved asking a specific set of questions to each of the fifteen students, who were assembled in focus groups comprised of three students and myself. The interviews took place in a conference room, which allowed us to converse in a quiet environment with little or no distractions. Students were instructed that their participation was voluntary, that any information they provided would be used only for the purposes of my research, and that their identity would not be revealed. Students were assured that there were no wrong answers to the questions and were encouraged to engage in a dialogue stemming from the specific questions asked. A tape recorder was used to insure an accurate account of the input and to allow me to take part in the dialogue with the students, while taking notes. The interview questions were constructed in a format that progressed from the general to the specific. They are as follows:
A. Social Studies in General
- What does social studies mean to you?
- Do you believe social studies is important? Why or why not?
B. Influence of Social Studies Teachers
- What do social studies teachers do that make social studies interesting/not interesting?
C. Students' Perception of Learning
- What helps you learn?
- Why do you think that helps you learn?
Limitations
At this point, I would like to make reference to some of the limitations of this study. The number of students interviewed was low; therefore the responses may have been less diverse. Though an attempt was made to get a good cross-section of eighth-grade students, there was no way to insure that the group researched was indeed an accurate representation of the entire eighth-grade class. The Human Subjects Committee of the University of Maine instructed that all participation must be voluntary, therefore responses may not accurately represent those students who declined to participate. Finally, there is no way to insure that the students interviewed were completely honest with me in their responses to my questions. This report is my interpretation of the responses of the students I interviewed.
The Report
Throughout this paper, I will be taking a closer look at the some of the dialogue that occurred in response to the questions (this will be prompted by double asterisks ** at the beginning of the paragraph) and will attempt to analyze how this information can be useful to social studies teachers. When writing quotes from students, I will be implementing the use of a series of periods (....) to depict silence between words. Each period will represent one second. It is my intent to give the reader a more accurate sense of how the students responded to questions asked. In addition, I have changed some of the spelling of the words to emphasize how they were spoken. It is not my intent to make fun of anyone or diminish the importance of his or her response in any way. In fact, my intent is to enable the reader to experience the individuality of the students that was so vivid during the actual interview. Finally, I have typed in bold font certain words to emphasize that the word, or group of words, was spoken with more expression. All the names in this report are fictitious.
Social Studies In General
What does social studies mean to you?
This question was implemented to get a sense of how eighth-grade students perceived social studies and to establish an atmosphere for further discussion. What, in fact, did they believe that social studies was all about? An overwhelming majority of the students interviewed believed that social studies was synonymous with history. A few of the students believed that social studies was mostly history but also about current events and geography; this was the case with Mary and Jeff. Mary spoke first:
I think that history is what first pops into your mind... But the social studies teacher we have right now...... he talks a lot about what is going on right now ..... kinda current events.
Jeff speaks up:
social studies isn't just about history... it is also about places in the world. You know what I mean?.... Like last year we learned about almost every country in the world!
His voice lowers as he continues:
And I can still remember about 1/4 of the countries in the world .....I think.
**What is going on here? Why is it that students who have been taking social studies classes for years are not able to identify more than one or two aspects of the discipline? The Maine Learning Results has content standards in civics and government, history, geography, and economics (all of which are under the umbrella of social studies), at each and every grade level from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Do we plan to meet the standards without instilling in our students something as basic as defining the discipline?
Do you believe social studies is important? Why or why not?
Fourteen out of fifteen students thought that social studies was important. Their responses indicated that most of the students seemed to believe that it is important to make connections between the past and the present. One of the male students asked me:
How do you know where you're going, if you don't even know where you have been?
Another student responded to that question with:
But it's really about more than just the importance of history...... it's taking part in what's happening in our world today..... In our social studies class we talk a lot about what is going on in our world today.... so I find myself watching the news more often, so that if we talk about something in class... I will know more about it and can take part in the discussion........ and I read the newspaper too! I think learning about the community and the world around us makes us more responsible as citizens.
There was one student who thought social studies was a complete waste of time and in his words, "utterly boring." As he slumped back in his chair, Ted commented:
I hate social studies. I think it's a waste of my time!... What do I care about a bunch of dead people? Besides..... I don't need to know that junk to do what I'm gonna do.
Further discussion disclosed that Ted plans to be a bus driver.
Influence of Social Studies Teachers
What do social studies teachers do that make social studies interesting?
In considering what social studies teachers do (or can do) to make the subject more interesting, most students preferred "teacher-guided" classroom discussion. Students considered social studies to be more interesting when the teacher related subject matter to current events:
The good things our social studies teacher does..... that makes class interesting.... is that... he never sits still... He walks around the room and has up-to-date conversations with us... and he thinks what we have to say is important. He creates dialogues with us instead of... just standing up at the front of the room and lecturing to us... He is teaching us.... but it is a better way of doing it.
**What are students telling us? I think the phrase "teacher-guided" is extremely important here. This information from the students suggests that structure is not only important in the learning process, but also important to the students when considering what makes social studies interesting:
Our teacher..... he walks up and down the rows between our desks, and looks right at us... when he talks to us ... he makes you feel like what you have to say is important.... You know what I mean? You can't help but be interested in the class because the teacher he makes you feel like he needs your input to teach the class!
**These students are sending us several message here:
- The proximity of the teacher matters in holding student interest
- Students are more likely to be interested in what a teacher has to say if he/she shows respect for the students
- Student interest relies heavily on student/teacher interaction in the classroom
Students also considered social studies to be more interesting when they did group projects or other "hands-on" sorts of activities. They felt that being involved in projects gave them an opportunity to express themselves in different ways. Some of the students got really excited about sharing project experiences and ideas, as was the case with Deanna:
Last year... my favorite part was..... um... we were discussing about how countries develop and stuff and our teacher had us get in groups of three or four people and we had to create our own country..... We just had to... like... make up a language and stuff like that.... We had to create a flag.... and get a cultural group..... like their religion and stuff like that. I really liked that because it was interesting and I know I never could have done something like that all by myself.... and besides.... when you are working in groups.... sometimes other kids think of stuff and then you think of stuff..... You learn how to work better with others too! I think you work harder..... because you don't want to let the rest of your group down.
**Deanna's response ties in nicely to one of the "Guiding Principals" of the Maine Learning Results. One of the building blocks, for a successful and fulfilled adulthood in the 21st century, is to be "A Collaborative and Quality Worker." Within that block students must demonstrate reliability, flexibility, and concern for quality. Effective group projects then, can create an environment that will hold the student's interest, allow them creativity, and fulfill the content standards and objectives of the curriculum.
Many of the students thought that diversity was an important aspect to consider when reflecting on what social studies teachers did, or could do, to keep students interested:
I like it when we don't do the same thing everyday. Our teacher doesn't let us get too bored..... I think he worries that we won't pay attention if he doesn't keep us busy and interested. He shows us examples of ummmm..... from things that happen today that kinda relate to things that have happened in the past .... like when we were learning about the revolution, he got us all fired up about something we didn't like... and then asked us what we were going to do about it. Then, we came up with some things we could do to let people know we weren't happy. It really was fun!
**This student is telling us that diversity in the classroom makes class more interesting, that social studies can be fun, and that making connections is important to holding their interest. It is really difficult to be interested in something that seems to have no relevance, no real use to them.
Remember Ted? He was the student that hates social studies. When I asked him what social studies teachers could do to get him interested, his reply was:
I really like movies.... maybe if we could have some really good movies, I would be interested... The teacher needs to make the class more fun for me to get interested I think.... Yeah.... I might not mind coming to class if it was more fun.
**Is there something we can do to spark that interest in students like Ted? Have we become a little "lazy" about exploring new and creative ways to teach social studies? Is Ted a "lost cause?" I don't think so, by implying that there may be some method to target his interest, Ted is telling us that his lack of enthusiasm toward social studies is not necessarily permanent.
What do social studies teachers do that make social studies boring?
The general consensus of the students interviewed was that the following practices of social studies teachers were boring:
- Reading from the text and answering handout sheets from the text
- Doing the same thing in class, day after day
- Teachers who just lectured
- Teachers who did not invite classroom discussion
- Teachers who teach strictly from the textbook
One student said:
I think it is boring.... when teachers think all you have to learn about is dead people..... who they are... when they died... Most of the time I don't understand why we are even learning about them.... unless it is about somebody really important.... Most of the time I just look around.
**Again, this student is telling us that it is difficult to be interested in a subject if he/she does not deem it important in some way. Unless the social studies teacher finds a way to involve this student in the class, and to instill the significance of the subject matter, he/she will have limited success in meeting the objectives of the lesson.
Students Perception of Learning
What Helps you to learn in social studies?
The overwhelming response from the students was that nothing helps you to learn if you are not interested in some way. For that reason, students thought that teacher-guided classroom discussion, role-playing, group projects, and hands-on lessons helped them successfully learn about social studies. Students also thought that it is important for social studies teachers to:
1. Make sure that they check for understanding:
Sometimes, I don't understand what it is the teacher is getting at..:.. but I won't ask... because I don't want to look stupid to the rest of my class
mates..... But then, I don't know the answer for a test.
2. Reach beyond the text when preparing lessons:
I think what our teacher does is good... because it seems like he is always doing something different..... I don't know where he gets all his ideas... but he doesn't just do the book because the stuff he does is really fun and interesting.
3. Be sure to allow diversity:
Not everybody learns the same way.... so it's not fair to the students to just teach one way.
Students thought that useful homework and out-of-class assignments are especially important in learning social studies. They stressed the importance however, on the word "useful":
When our teacher assigns homework, he makes sure that we know that we need to do it.... or we won't have a clue about what is going on, in the next class.... Class is more fun if you know what you are doing... and besides.... you don't look so stupid.
The students all seemed to agree that homework is necessary to reinforce what you learn in class and to expand beyond that knowledge. Students had a dislike for fill-
in-the-blank textbook sheets. They did not help them remember information long-
term and did not help them understand why something was important:
I hate them and I don't think they help you learn... because you are just given a worksheet and the questions say something like the territory is whatever.... then you don't know if it is important for you to learn something about that territory or when that territory was founded... or why it is important.... or.... umm.... It helps if you know what the teacher thinks you should know... and how it is important to us today.... If it's important for some reason, it helps you remember it better... than just looking it up and kinda... um...... forgetting about it.... and then trying to remember it for a test or something.
Some of the students were concerned about how much they were expected to learn in social studies. They felt that they could better learn if social studies teachers focused more on concepts and themes and less on content:
Sometimes teachers are so busy trying to get in all their lesson... that they don't check with the students to see if they are following them at all... Some don't even act like they care.
**Remember Jeff? He was the student that thought he learned almost all the countries in the world last year, but quietly admitted that this year he could only remember (maybe) about 1/4 of them. Do those students really learn the material when we focus on content, or do they just memorize for the moment? Would we serve our students better to focus less on content and more on concepts and themes? These students seem to believe we would.
Why do you think that helps you to learn?
Teacher-guided classroom discussion gives students the opportunity to be involved in the discussion under the leadership of the teacher. Students are more likely to stay on task, allowing them to further develop the dialogue that is taking place. Much can be learned in this type of atmosphere because it entices students to make connections, thus really learning the Whys and Hows, not just the Whats and Whens of the subject matter. Role-playing, group projects, and other hands-on lessons give students opportunities to learn in diverse ways. Here are some of the responses of the students, explaining why they think these methods helped them to learn:
Talking about something you've read or a video you watched... and listenin' to what other people thought about it... helps you to understand it better........ Another thing... like when our teacher goes around the room and asks every-body something..... and if we are not paying attention... he will know! He might ask one person a question and if they don't know... then he'll ask another person... and he goes around the room until someone gives enough information for him to build on... and create a discussion on that answer.
I think I learn better during classroom discussion... because it takes the pressure off one student and you can engage in conversation about the question without feeling like you are on the spot.... because our teacher doesn't make you feel like you are on the spot.... and he makes you feel like what you have to say is important.... so you don't worry about giving wrong answers and that helps you to be more receptive to learning.... I think... You know what I mean?"
I think that hands-on activities keep you more involved... and your mind doesn't wander so much .. so of course you learn more.
I like that for the last two years... we doesn't just sit down with a book.... I have a hard time just reading and trying to remember what I have read... cause when I try to sit down and read it.... I... umm... I'm like all over the place.... and I can't concentrate... It makes more sense to me when we talk about it out loud.... I guess I have to hear it to really take it in and understand it better.
Upon further discussion, the students told me that what they remembered the most from past years of social studies was subject matter they had learned while doing both group and individual projects.
**While the students believe they learn best by teacher-guided classroom discussion, what they seem to remember the most is what they have learned from hands-on activities. Are these students sending us a message here? Is one more important to learning than the other? Are the students actually engaging in a discussion they are not aware of while doing their projects; thus enabling their learning? Or are they remembering projects because they are visual and hands-on? If that is the case, are there things we can do to make discussions more memorable? Do students need some sort of visual stimuli combined with discussion to make it a long-term learning experience?
All of the students were given the opportunity to go home and reflect upon the following question: If you were a social studies teacher, what would you do to ensure that students came to your classroom ready, willing, and able to learn, and to provide the best learning environment possible? Students were informed that they did not have to answer this last question, that it was not meant to be extra work. They could answer it in any format; they could make a list of things to do, or they could just answer the question verbally. Most of the students chose to verbally answer the question. One girl came up to me and said:
I went home and told my mother about how I helped in your project.... and I told her about the question about being a good social studies teacher.... She told me that was a very hard question.
I smiled at her and asked, "Did you answer it?" She replied:
No...... It was too hard.
**Lets take a serious look here! This was a girl who had participated throughout the entire interview and had some very thought-provoking questions presented to her. She answered each and every question with a great deal of thought and enthusiasm. This question should not have been too hard if she thought about it for a little while. After all, she had told me what she believed to be important in learning social studies; but upon being told by her mother that the question was hard, she believed the question was too hard for her to answer on her own. Perhaps her mom was too busy to talk to her about the question, or maybe she really thought the question was too hard. Regardless of the reason, the result was the same; a potentially good learning exercise was halted. Do we need to do a better job as educators, at the middle and secondary levels, in involving parents in the education of their children? You bet we do! Do we need to work with parents to ensure that we are not sending their children, our students, mixed messages? You better believe it!
Most of the students said that if they were a social studies teacher, they would be sure to have an activity-based classroom, they would tell the students what was expected of them, allow them to do extra-credit projects, and would make their classroom a "fun environment," so students would want to be there. One of the students handed me a response that I would like to share with you. I transcribed it exactly as she wrote it, so that you can get a real sense of the thought and reasoning behind her response.
If I were going to be a social studies teacher, I would probably:
1. Be sure to include group discussions.
Group discussions are probably one of the most important things (in my opinion). It makes class more interesting, it doesn't allow kids to daydream, for the teacher usually says, "What do you think about that....?" Group discussions also allow the kids to speak their minds and voice their opinions on up-to-date issues, wars, racism, and other topics we may discuss. Having a teacher stand at the front of the class and just lecture on history, and whatever else, is very boring. Most times, what happens when a teacher does this, the student will:
- Get lost
- Daydream, and
- Go off in their own conversations, for they don't expect the teacher to call on them any time soon.
2. Never allow a student to say, "I don't know."
Usually, when a student says, "I don't know," it's because they feel pressure to answer the question right off, so they say, "I don't know "to pass that pressure on to a different student. By not allowing the student to say, "I don't know," it then forces them to think strongly about the question and to give the best answer that he or she is capable of.
3. Be sure the students understand that there is never a right or wrong answer in class discussion.
Sure, the answer the student gives may not he the one you are looking for, but at least they tried. If it's not the answer you wanted, simply say, "Nice try, not exactly the answer I was looking for, but it's not entirely wrong" or "You're getting close" and ask other students. This way the rest of the class has an idea what you want to know and can give a better reply, and the student that gave the answer knows that he/she did a good job still, and is encouraged to try again.
As I indicated early in the report, the purpose of my study was to aid me in my quest to find out what it is that I (as a future social studies teacher) can do to entice students to want to be in my classroom and to create an environment that is conducive to student learning.
The information gathered in this study will be invaluable to me as a future social studies teacher. Educators, who are currently teaching social studies, may choose to re-evaluate their teaching methods and implement some of the practices suggested by the participants in this study. Certainly, there is enough evidence to suggest that some of the practices suggested follow the content standards of the Maine Learning Results; that in itself may prompt social studies teachers to consider alternative methods of teaching. To those social studies teachers who already provide a learning environment which is comprised of teacher/student respect, diversity, group projects, classroom discussions, and other hands-on activities, I hope you find some bit of information in this report useful. The students have given us, as educators, the ammunition to fight the war against apathy in the social studies classroom and to create an environment in which they can learn. It is our responsibility to use that ammunition to the best of our ability.
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