AbstractIn this final thesis, I examine controversial issues, topics, and subjects found in the literaturestudents use in upper middle school and high school. Its main objective is to determine whatproblems the literature leaves teachers to solve and what tactics, methods, and tools theycan use in the classroom.Overall, the literature is neutral in terms of language. As a result, it is difficult to distinguishcontroversial subjects, issues, and topics. It is important for teachers to complement theliterature with materials that fill in the gap between the time when the material was publishedand the time when students use it. There are times when material writers choose not toprovide perspective and nuance. To some degree, this is to meet some of the curriculum'srequirements, but at the expense of a broader perspective. Consequently, some of thematerial could lead students to view the world and the future in a negative light.As a result, teachers might not be able to maintain that much is being done to make theworld a better place, and some of it is succeeding.The Tactics, tools and methods the literature present is to not always give nuancedperspectives to make it easier for the students to accept the content. As a result of thedemand for equality among sexes, ethnicities, and sexual orientations, that has become areality. The point is that a nuanced perspective might expose the students to views thatoppose equality and human rights. The literature provides students with concrete ideas onhow they can impact income equality in the future as parents. By forming a family, thestudents will gain everyday political power. In general, the literature focuses more on thefuture of the student than on what can be done today.

This study examines students' perceptions and ability to think critically within the framework of social studies education. With increasing concern for the survival of democracy and the rapidly changing media landscape, it is increasingly important to understand and promote students' critical thinking skills. The study aims to contribute to an increased understanding of students' critical thinking in social studies teaching and points to the need to develop more differentiated and challenging teaching methods to promote students' ability to think critically in different contexts. It also emphasizes the importance of integrating critical thinking discussions into a broader context of media and information literacy to equip students to navigate the media landscape and contribute to healthy democratic societal development.   Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods in a survey, the student's knowledge of critical thinking in different contexts and their ability to apply it in practice were explored. The results showed that students generally had a basic understanding of critical thinking, but had difficulty reaching more advanced levels of critical thinking. When it comes to being able to explain critical thinking in theory, a majority have a basic understanding, mainly related to source criticism. The result of applying it in practice was that a majority could reach a more multifaceted understanding of critical thinking. Specifically, it emerged that the students found it more difficult to apply critical thinking in complex situations and that their ability was to some extent situational depending on the subject. In addition, the results showed challenges students articulated related to navigating through the large flow of information and sifting relevant information from irrelevant or misleading sources.