Patterns of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle-Level Social Studies Teaching: An Interpretation of Illinois Social Studies Teachers’ Practices and Beliefs

Using data from a national social studies survey, the authors examined instructional trends among Illinois elementary and middle school social studies teachers. The authors found that teachers preferred whole-group and teacher-centered instructional strategies over more active, student-centered methods. While surveyed teachers predominately indicated that one of the primary goals of teaching social studies was to improve critical-thinking ability, their pedagogical preferences were more conducive to teaching basic facts. The authors also found that middle-level teachers were more likely to use teaching strategies that promoted critical thinking than were used by their elementary school colleagues.