Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Education

Major

Teaching-Learning Processes

Date of Defense

8-5-2016

Graduate Advisor

Lewis Harris,Jacquelyn A

Committee

Dr. Susan Catapano

Dr. William Kyle

Dr. Gayle Wilkinson

Abstract

The state of social studies instruction in US schools has become dismal. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the impact of high stakes testing on social studies teaching when it is not tested by the state. I examined the elementary teacher’s “curricular” autonomy (curricular/instructional decision making) within the context of social studies teaching in a suburban low performing, urban demographic, school. Participants were asked to describe the experience of making instructional decisions regarding social studies education. The specific aims of this study were to: 1. reveal the meaning of teacher autonomy for teachers in a low performing elementary school in the state of Missouri 2. reveal the perceptions of the role of social studies for teachers in a low performing elementary school in the state of Missouri 3. give voice to teachers in low performing elementary schools who are in high stakes testing states, where social studies is not tested

OCLC Number

959714531

Included in

Education Commons

Share

COinS