In response to the growing interests in K-12 economic education among politicians and educators, this study was designed to fill in the gaps created by limited research in preservice teachers’ attitudes and intentions regarding the teaching of economics at the elementary and middle-school levels. Specifically, the purposes of this study were to identify significant predictors of PK-8 preservice teachers’ intentions to teach economics and to examine the effects of an educational intervention on preservice teachers’ intentions and attitudes pertaining to the teaching of economics. Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory of reasoned action (TRA) and Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB) served as the theoretical bases of this research. Quantitative data collected through a self-designed survey instrument and qualitative data collected through four focus group interviews were obtained from 234 preservice teacher participants enrolled in the social studies methods courses during the fall semester of 2006. Additional training in teaching economics, which included three one-hour sessions embedded in the social studies methods courses, was provided for the experimental group teachers. The results show that preservice teachers’ intentions to teach economics were affected primarily by their perceived support from school administration and their self-efficacy. No statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and the control preservice teachers. The findings of this study indicate that whether preservice teachers decide to teach economics mainly depends on whether economics is tested on state-mandated examinations, and to some extent, the preservice teachers’ own abilities to teach economics. The findings of this study also point to the need for more research in effective training for teaching elementary and middle-school level economics that can be incorporated into social studies methods courses.

In response to the growing interests in K-12 economic education among politicians and educators, this study was designed to fill in the gaps created by limited research in preservice teachers’ attitudes and intentions regarding the teaching of economics at the elementary and middle-school levels. Specifically, the purposes of this study were to identify significant predictors of PK-8 preservice teachers’ intentions to teach economics and to examine the effects of an educational intervention on preservice teachers’ intentions and attitudes pertaining to the teaching of economics. Fishbein and Ajzen’s theory of reasoned action (TRA) and Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB) served as the theoretical bases of this research. Quantitative data collected through a self-designed survey instrument and qualitative data collected through four focus group interviews were obtained from 234 preservice teacher participants enrolled in the social studies methods courses during the fall semester of 2006. Additional training in teaching economics, which included three one-hour sessions embedded in the social studies methods courses, was provided for the experimental group teachers. The results show that preservice teachers’ intentions to teach economics were affected primarily by their perceived support from school administration and their self-efficacy. No statistically significant differences were found between the experimental and the control preservice teachers. The findings of this study indicate that whether preservice teachers decide to teach economics mainly depends on whether economics is tested on state-mandated examinations, and to some extent, the preservice teachers’ own abilities to teach economics. The findings of this study also point to the need for more research in effective training for teaching elementary and middle-school level economics that can be incorporated into social studies methods courses.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 2002. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 171-188).

A program for the training of graduate student consultants in behavioral interviewing skills is presented. The initial interview of behavioral consultation, problem identification, was taught. The training program involved a videotape interview between a consultant and consultee in which appropriate verbalizations specific to the problem identification interview were modeled and/or specific problem identification objectives were narrated. Sixty graduate student consultants were trained using either or both of these techniques. The consultants later had the opportunity to role-play a problem identification interview to demonstrate the consultation skills acquired through observation of the modeling and/or the narrated instructions. This role-played interview was audio-recorded and the verbalized statements coded on the Consultation Analysis Record, a technique in which independent verbalized statements are coded on four categories. These coded statements were statistically analyzed in order to determine the effectiveness of the training program in training the problem identification interview. The training program was evaluated using a multivariate analysis of variance design. Results of the study indicated that verbal skills specific to problem identification interview were acquired when modeled training alone was used. No skills acquisition resulted in the instruction only or the modeling plus instruction training conditions. The implications of this study for the training of psychologists in behavioral consultation are discussed. This investigation lent support for the use of modeling as a training technique and the Consultation Analysis Record as a systematic method of the behavioral assessment of interviewing skills.

The school subjects of history and social science are expected to contribute with historical and social scientific knowledge, skills and abilities: that is, subject knowledge. The subject knowledge that students achieve during their schooling is not only meant for future studies, but is also expected to inform a life as democratic citizens. However, the curriculum and syllabus have not always been explicit about this aim, and the relationship between subject knowledge and citizenship education is only vaguely explained. This thesis investigates this relationship within the context of history and social science education in Swedish upper secondary school. The educational dimensions of Biesta – socialisation, qualification and subjectification – are used as an approach to this investigation. The aim of the study is to explore, analyse and discuss the role of history and social science teaching for students’ citizenship education. This is done by investigating curricula, teaching and educational discourses and by using both empirical methods and content analysis. The thesis is a compilation of five articles, all exploring subject knowledge and its connection to students’ citizenship education. The first two articles investigate possible second-order concepts in social science education, which are described and discussed using theories and concepts from history didactics. The findings in these articles work as a basis for further study in following articles, where the subject knowledge and its connections to citizenship education are explored in more depth. Taken together, the articles present a rich picture of the complex reality of teaching and provide a basis for understanding better how teachers, students and curricula express subject knowledge and how this is related, or not, to citizen education. The contribution of the thesis is a more developed theoretical and conceptual understanding of history and social science education, especially through concepts that can be used in practical teaching in order to strengthen and develop citizenship education.

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the relationship between social science teachers and their students are affected by the presence and usage of computers and smartphones in the classroom. Since there are no studies examining this aspect of education prior to this one, the aim is to identify potential aspects that could be interesting for further studies to be able to conclude if the relationship is affected by the digital devices. Five upper secondary school teachers in social science have been interviewed for the purpose. The interviews concluded that the digital devices have a greater tendency to distract students, leading to possible conflicts between teachers and students. Furthermore, the teachers pointed out possible complications due to the way students now gather information, for example questioning of authority. The effective information gathering could on the other hand also lead to better classroom discussions which affected the relationship in a positive manner. Additionally, the interviewed teachers informed about students having an increased sense of infringement which was acknowledged during discussions about social topics, teachers feeling an increased sense of exposure due to the possibility of being taped or filmed by the digital devices, as well as the impossibility of maintaining or creating a relationship with students through the screen during the period of distance learning. Since the prerequisites for this study are not enough for generating an overall ensuring conclusion, the result should only be used as inspiration for further studies on the subject.

This study focuses on Swedish social science education and the syllabus development over time. The study explores the social studies subject’s syllabus from 1965 to 2011; it aims to review the subject’s development in relation to the curriculum. Additionally, attention will be drawn to the upcoming changes and the possible reasons for them in the new syllabus, 2025. The syllabus content and wording are of interest and will be examined through a qualitative method using theme content analysis. The result shows that the social science subject has a strong connection to society. Furthermore, the results showed that the subject’s core has stayed intact even though many changes have been made. Contemporary themes and the dominating educational view of the time have impacted these changes. Finally, the results show that the new syllabus of 2025 will impact the subject’s content and grading system. / <p>Godkänd 2024-01-19</p>

The curriculum emphasizes the importance of social science teachers to affect students to be active, democratic and participating citizens. At the same time the interest in politics among students has been on a steady decline since the beginning of the 21th century. Apart from the diminishing interest in politics, studies have shown that students are given different civic skills and competencies depending on their choice of educational path. This study takes an interest to understand what affects students' engagement in democracy and politics, and how it differs between last-year students from study preparatory and vocational education. This study also aims to understand how the programs differ in the experience of social science teaching and how it has affected their civic engagement. This study utilized qualitative group interviews with students from both educational paths, the results of this study illustrate that differences in political engagement, depending on educational path, do exist. The differences in education of social science has given different prerequisites to be politically engaged for study preparatory- and vocational students. / <p>Godkänd 2024-04-05</p>

Abstract Culture is a significant part of the Swedish curriculum for compulsory school, despite this there is no definition of the concept. Therefore, it was found interesting to explore what understanding teachers who teach social science in primary education possess, and how they integrate culture in their teaching methods. As culture is a wide concept, the current study focused on two definitions of culture, the aesthetics and the anthropological. The study enlightened different views of culture and how students consume and construct culture. We chose to do an interview study where the reflexive interview technique was used. Open questions that were relevant were utilized which made it possible to ask follow up questions. Furthemore, the study contained interviews with six different teachers. To analyze the material from the interviews content analysis was used. The result of the analysis showed that the aesthetic concept of culture is more common in both the teachers' understandings and teachings. Some of the teachers emphasized the anthropological parts of culture. The participants often connected the concept with other subjects than social science. The study showed that the teachers integrated culture in social science through different out of schedule activities. Moreover, this work is often connected to the school's cultural mission and specific days. It was further recognized that culture is not a part of the day to day education in social science and has a development potential. Furthermore, there seems to be a lack of concrete teaching methods when working with culture. If there had been concrete teaching methods, it would favor the teachers in their everyday work. The study contributed with an understanding of how teachers integrate culture in their day to day education, and enlightened their understanding of the concept of culture. The results from the study can support future teachers in their profession. By widening their knowledge about the concept and the benefits of including it in their lesson plan, they can elaborate their teaching.

The problem of this study was to test and compare the impact of two alternative educational treatments on the rate of success among high-risk students enrolled in the United States History telecourse at Richland College, DCCCD during the Spring Semester of 1980. The purposes of the study were to determine whether 1. The rate of success, that is, the proportion of students completing the course with a grade of "C" or higher, would increase among high-risk students in either experimental group; 2. The rate of success would increase among high-risk students with poor reading skills in either experimental group; 3. The rate of success would increase among high-risk students with poor academic motivation for telecourses in either experimental group; 4. The rate of success would increase among high-risk students when related to the demographic variables used as predictors and collected for the students who were in either experimental group; 5. There would be a difference in the effects of experimental treatment I and experimental treatment II in helping students with poor reading skills to complete the course with a grade of "C" or higher; 6. There would be a difference in the effects of experimental treatment I and experimental treatment II in aiding students with different levels and types of motivation to complete the course with a grade of "C" or higher; 7. There would be a difference in the effects of experimental treatment I and experimental treatment II in helping students with the various demographic characteristics used in the prediction equation to complete the course with a grade of "C" or higher.