Mass Media Instruction in High School Social Science Classes: A Survey of Southern California Teachers.

A study investigated high school social science teachers' opinions on including media studies in the curriculum. A 53-question survey instrument was constructed and sent to 302 southern California social science teachers, of whom 159 responded, for a return rate of about 53%. Results indicated that all of the teachers thought it was Important to help students develop critical thinking skills. About 94% of the teachers said mass media studies should be included in high school social science classes. About 86% of the teachers said they felt qualified to teach about the mass media, although only 34% indicated that their college training had helped them to develop such expertise. Television was ranked as the most important mass medium to include in the study of mass media in high school social science class,,Its. Respondents rated the potential effects of mass media messages on people as the most important element to include in the media curriculum. Results indicated that even though most of the teachers recognized that the social science curriculum was already crowded with critical areas that needed to be taught, almost all of them indicated that room should be found for ircluding meaningful instruction about how the mass media operate, how 7bey should operate, what power they have and how they influence lives every day. (Three tables of data are included, and 28 references are attached.) (MG) *********************** ********** ********************** ****** ********** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that cz. be made from the original document. ******************************** ************** ******** ******* *** ***** ** Secondary Education Division Mass Media Instruction in High School Social Science Classes: A Survey of Southern California Teachers K. Tim Wulfemeyer Department of Journalism San Diego State University San Diego, CA 92182-0116 (619) 594-6790 Don Sneed San Diego State University Roger Van Ommeren Baylor University Daniel Riffe Univere.ty of Alabama -PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY 0.4u) TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Reiearch anis improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) O This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization onginating is O minor engages nate been made to Improve reproduction Quality points or.oeve or OPruons sta fed en th is Coot,. ment do not netenanly rePresent official OERI position or mho, Presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication annual convention, August, 1990