This paper attempts to display how five teachers of social studies use and relate to the policy documents and their instructions on gender. To penetrate the subject, five teachers were intreviewed. Each interview focused on how the curriculum attempts to guide teachers regarding gender, sex differences and equality of opportunity. The collected information was processed, analyzed and discussed using gender studies and discourse theory. The results show that the interpretation and usage of the curriculum is very subjective and varies greatly between all the interviewed teachers. Their personal interpretation proves to be crucial when it comes to making reality of the stated goals in the curriculum, concerning actively working towards equality of opportunity between sexes. For example, two teachers strongly believe they do not treat their students differently based on sex, while three others find it a delicate problem that they do treat female and male students differently. The ideas on how to implement gender theory into their teaching also vary greatly. This marked difference in interpretations of the curriculum can be explained mainly in two ways. Firstly, the policy documents and curriculum are very indistinct, providing only guidelines and very few, or no, direct instructions on how to use gender theory when teaching. Secondly, the personal background of each teacher, including upbringing, education and personal interest, shows vast importance on how to interpret the guidelines of the curriculum. The paper also shows a conflict between the attempted individual treatment of each student based on the specific needs of that individual student, and the thought of equal treatment and rights, regardless of sex. A discussion is held concerning how male and female teachers find themselves in different roles, and how the call for a greater number of male teachers include a call for specific typically “male” characteristics. Finally, the paper points out that the usage of gender studies in school implies that the heterosexual norm is the standard, and the issue of equal rights regardless of sexual preference is not even addressed.

This survey is a text analysis of 4 teaching books during a ten years period in Social studies from a multicultural and intercultural perspective. Taking as a starting point that society and the school in today’s Sweden are multicultural and in need of more intercultural teaching I explore teaching books in social science to se how they relate to Sweden as a multicultural society and their way of relating to intercultural teachings and compare them. The questions asked are: How do the different books describe the multicultural society in Sweden? What kind of intercultural tools are found in the books? And are there any similarities or differences among these books? The theories used as a starting point are reformulated by the author after theories of Von Wright and Lahdenperä to fit in to the context of a text analysis of teaching books and the method used is a content analysis with its purpose of describing how the books are constructed. I have found that two older books from ten years ago are not describing Sweden as a multicultural society and are not including people with different origin as a natural part of the society. I have also found that there are not much intercultural tools used for increasing the reader’s intercultural understanding. In two older books from 1994 there is a tendency to stereotype people with different origins in and to not describe them as participant members of society. The newer books from 2004 and 2005 are more describing Sweden as a multicultural society both directly and indirectly and they are including people with different origins to be a participant part of the society. It is also reflected that there is always a risk for stereotyping different groups in society by discussing problems but that there are different ways considered to avoid that. The books from today are both using more intercultural tools to increase the reader’s intercultural understanding in different ways.

This study sought to describe the congruence between Aboriginal student citizenship development, as manifested in behaviour, and the prescribed outcomes of Canadian citizenship for selected secondary schools in Manitoba, as perceived by secondary principals and teachers. Citizenship, the condition of living in a shared society and the standard of conduct that allows those in a particular society to live harmoniously and prosper, has become an important goal for public education in the Province of Manitoba. Citizenship is also prevalent concept within many documents and policy developments.<p>The values of Canadian citizenship used in this study were derived from the framework of six values used in the development of Manitobas most recent Social Studies curriculum (2004b; 2004c). These six civic values are equality, respect for cultural differences, freedom, peace, law and order, and environmental stewardship. These same values were employed in the development of the survey to acquire quantitative data using Likert-scale items. Qualitative data were acquired through a set of open-ended questions on the survey and through interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed with the use of chi square analysis and descriptive statistical measures including ANOVAs. Qualitative data were analyzed through a method of constant comparison in order to establish themes.<p>For the most part, Aboriginal students from Manitoba high schools do behave in a manner congruent with the values of Canadian citizenship. There were some differences in the way principals and teachers perceived Aboriginal student behaviour, that Aboriginal students family backgrounds presented challenges to educational attainment, and that educational administration was a subject that can be dealt with in numerous curricular and extra-curricular forums. There were some exceptions to these findings manifest in both the quantitative data and qualitative data. Amongst other things, the qualitative data suggested that citizenship development should be a localized process with genuine community involvement. The implications of these findings suggest a need for the development of curricula that is congruent with traditional Indigenous ways of learning, provision of opportunities for practical experiences in the area of citizenship development, and increased research into schools on First Nations communities in the area of citizenship development. Such developments may facilitate citizenship development for Aboriginal students through the provision of education that is sensitive to Aboriginal perspectives and circumstances.

Pre-collegiate teachers in Saskatchewan recognize the value of integrating archaeological content into natural and social science curricula. However, there is currently a lack of curriculum-relevant resources available to teachers who are interested in teaching with archaeology. In addition to meeting Saskatchewan Core Curriculum standards and objectives, the holistic, multi-disciplinary, activities-based approach inherent in archaeology education provides students with opportunities to inquire, investigate, connect, cooperate and collaborate as they develop higher-level understanding and cognition independently and as members of a community of learners (Short and Burke 1991). Thus, the integration of archaeology into existing curricula complements contemporary cognitive development and social constructivist theories of knowledge of scholars Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Furthermore, learning through archaeology increases students awareness and appreciation of other cultures, and promotes understanding of the need to protect and conserve cultural resources. <p>There were two aims in the research: 1) To answer the question: What do teachers require to integrate archaeology concepts, themes and activities into Grade 6 Science and Grade 9 Social Studies curricula; and, 2) To assess the validity of the two assumptions that were taken after the review of the literature: i) If successful archaeology education programs in North America employed the use of hands-on, active learning, then the inclusion of hands-on, active learning in the archaeology education resources developed for the research will also prove effective ; and ii) If successful archaeology education programs in North America incorporated constructivist theories of learning, including the cognitive development theory of Jean Piaget and the sociocultural theory of Lev Vygotsky in their designs, then reference to constructivist theories of learning, including Piagets cognitive development theory and Vygotskys sociocultural theory, will result in the development of appropriate archaeology education materials.<p>The research occurred between January 2003 and June 2005, and involved the collaboration of nine teachers, a First Nations Elder, 689 Grade 6 and Grade 9 students, and 13 archaeologists. The research design followed a qualitative, action research approach, with the collection of data occurring through semi-structured interviews using McCrackens (1988) long interview method, as well as questionnaires, a survey, and participant observation. An open-coding approach was used to code data collected during the research.<p>In addition to providing answers to the research question and assessments of the validity of the two assumptions taken in the research, the results indicate that the benefits of integrating archaeological content into pre-collegiate curricula transcend professional jurisdictions. Outcomes include the development of Grade 6 Science and Grade 9 Social Studies archaeology units that can serve as templates and resources for teachers, curriculum developers, and archaeologists. Also, participants learned about: Saskatchewans human and environmental histories; how archaeology can be used to reveal these histories; and why it is necessary to protect and conserve cultural resourcesall goals of avocational and professional archaeological associations across North America.

The larger research project seeks to examine the role of technology and factors that influence its overall use and efficacy in supporting a community of teachers engaged in professional development. This thesis examines factors that appear to influence teacher participation in the online community of practice engaging in an overarching research project conducted by Dr. Balcaen and a team from UBC O Faculty of Education and funded by the Southern Alberta Professional Development Consortium (SAPDC). The two groups are acting in partnership for supporting and sustaining communities of practice in social studies in southern Alberta. SAPDC is allowing teachers release time to engage in the project while TC² is providing professional development for the participant teachers to become proficient at embedding TC² critical thinking tools into their classroom practices. Various technologies are used during this study as part of the design of providing professional development for the participants including supporting an online community presence. The guiding question for this thesis is: In a blended approach of face-to-face and online supported professional development for embedding critical thinking into the new social studies curriculum, what significant factors appear to influence teacher participation in the online community of practice during the first year of the project? Overall results during the first year of this project show that various technologies used during the project are valuable and effective in nurturing this community of practice by enabling and promoting collaboration, communication, and the completion and delivery of products to be used in teaching the new curriculum. I also examine negative factors that appear to prevent some teachers’ technology use and online participation and collaboration during this project. Findings show that there are several significant factors that influence participation in the online community and while some participants are reluctant to engage or enter the online environment, others have emerged as leaders and play a significant role in building and sustaining the community of practice. These results provide critical information about implementing and integrating an online component and using technology to sustain communities of practice engaged in this form of teacher professional development.

In this narrative inquiry, I explore student connections to personal and family history and how those connections, or lack thereof, shape their understandings of Social Socials content – in regard to how the students attend to history and each other. I believe there is a disconnect between the rationale of Social Studies programs, which advocates for the development of active and engaged citizens, and the way many programs are being delivered. To explore an alternative approach to Social Studies, I invited Grade 9 students and their teachers to share their perspectives about their engagement in a Roots Project which was intended to enrich students’ understanding and sense of identity, as individuals, as members of families and communities, and as citizens of the world. Research participants included three grade 9 students in a secondary school in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and three collaborating teachers, who happened to be at various stages of their careers: an experienced semi-retired teacher, a beginning teacher, and an education undergraduate student. In attending to both student and teacher voices, I found that the incorporation of personal and family history into the secondary Social Studies curriculum provided a range of opportunities for student growth in both personal and social realms. It provided students with an opportunity to step back from the formalized, prescribed curriculum and it exposed them to multiple ways of learning and knowing, through personal conversation about subject matter with which they had an organic connection. I found the importance of relationships, and the acknowledgement of family diversity and inclusion of all family forms and perspectives in the classroom, to be central to interweaving personal and family history into Social Studies subject matter.

Studien ska ge mig och de som läser studien en insikt i vikten av och hur man kan använda sig av verklighetsanknytning. Genom denna uppsats ska läraren kunna få en grundläggande förståelse samt en hjälp kring de didaktiska bitarna av verklighetsanknytning. Lärare bör kunna koppla samman skolans värld med verkligheten och utöka elevernas förståelse för dess samband. Studien visar att verklighetsanknuten undervisning motiverar och stimulerar eleverna. I flera fall finns stöd från bland annat Deweys, Vygotskiljs och Kants teorier för studiens resultat. Viktigt är att verklighetsanknytning är en del av undervisningen inte hela. Min förhoppning är att med min fördjupade förståelse kunna använda mig av verklighetsanknuten undervisning på ett stimulerande och utvecklande sätt i min framtida profession. / The study will give me and those who read the study, an understanding of the importance of and how to use realityconnected education. Through this essay, the teacher could get a basic understanding and a help on the didactic bits of realityconnected education. Teachers should be able to connect the world of education with reality and expand students' understanding of its context. The study shows that the realityconnected teaching motivate and stimulate students. In several cases, you can see Dewey, Vygotskilj and Kants theories support the study result. Important is that the realityconnected education is a part of teaching it is not all. My hope is that with my deeper understanding to avail myself of the reality-related education in a stimulating and fulfilling way of my future profession. / <p>Presentationen har varit sedan tidigare.</p>

This study sought to describe the congruence between Aboriginal student citizenship development, as manifested in behaviour, and the prescribed outcomes of Canadian citizenship for selected secondary schools in Manitoba, as perceived by secondary principals and teachers. Citizenship, the condition of living in a shared society and the standard of conduct that allows those in a particular society to live harmoniously and prosper, has become an important goal for public education in the Province of Manitoba. Citizenship is also prevalent concept within many documents and policy developments.<p>The values of Canadian citizenship used in this study were derived from the framework of six values used in the development of Manitobas most recent Social Studies curriculum (2004b; 2004c). These six civic values are equality, respect for cultural differences, freedom, peace, law and order, and environmental stewardship. These same values were employed in the development of the survey to acquire quantitative data using Likert-scale items. Qualitative data were acquired through a set of open-ended questions on the survey and through interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed with the use of chi square analysis and descriptive statistical measures including ANOVAs. Qualitative data were analyzed through a method of constant comparison in order to establish themes.<p>For the most part, Aboriginal students from Manitoba high schools do behave in a manner congruent with the values of Canadian citizenship. There were some differences in the way principals and teachers perceived Aboriginal student behaviour, that Aboriginal students family backgrounds presented challenges to educational attainment, and that educational administration was a subject that can be dealt with in numerous curricular and extra-curricular forums. There were some exceptions to these findings manifest in both the quantitative data and qualitative data. Amongst other things, the qualitative data suggested that citizenship development should be a localized process with genuine community involvement. The implications of these findings suggest a need for the development of curricula that is congruent with traditional Indigenous ways of learning, provision of opportunities for practical experiences in the area of citizenship development, and increased research into schools on First Nations communities in the area of citizenship development. Such developments may facilitate citizenship development for Aboriginal students through the provision of education that is sensitive to Aboriginal perspectives and circumstances.

Pre-collegiate teachers in Saskatchewan recognize the value of integrating archaeological content into natural and social science curricula. However, there is currently a lack of curriculum-relevant resources available to teachers who are interested in teaching with archaeology. In addition to meeting Saskatchewan Core Curriculum standards and objectives, the holistic, multi-disciplinary, activities-based approach inherent in archaeology education provides students with opportunities to inquire, investigate, connect, cooperate and collaborate as they develop higher-level understanding and cognition independently and as members of a community of learners (Short and Burke 1991). Thus, the integration of archaeology into existing curricula complements contemporary cognitive development and social constructivist theories of knowledge of scholars Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Furthermore, learning through archaeology increases students awareness and appreciation of other cultures, and promotes understanding of the need to protect and conserve cultural resources. <p>There were two aims in the research: 1) To answer the question: What do teachers require to integrate archaeology concepts, themes and activities into Grade 6 Science and Grade 9 Social Studies curricula; and, 2) To assess the validity of the two assumptions that were taken after the review of the literature: i) If successful archaeology education programs in North America employed the use of hands-on, active learning, then the inclusion of hands-on, active learning in the archaeology education resources developed for the research will also prove effective ; and ii) If successful archaeology education programs in North America incorporated constructivist theories of learning, including the cognitive development theory of Jean Piaget and the sociocultural theory of Lev Vygotsky in their designs, then reference to constructivist theories of learning, including Piagets cognitive development theory and Vygotskys sociocultural theory, will result in the development of appropriate archaeology education materials.<p>The research occurred between January 2003 and June 2005, and involved the collaboration of nine teachers, a First Nations Elder, 689 Grade 6 and Grade 9 students, and 13 archaeologists. The research design followed a qualitative, action research approach, with the collection of data occurring through semi-structured interviews using McCrackens (1988) long interview method, as well as questionnaires, a survey, and participant observation. An open-coding approach was used to code data collected during the research.<p>In addition to providing answers to the research question and assessments of the validity of the two assumptions taken in the research, the results indicate that the benefits of integrating archaeological content into pre-collegiate curricula transcend professional jurisdictions. Outcomes include the development of Grade 6 Science and Grade 9 Social Studies archaeology units that can serve as templates and resources for teachers, curriculum developers, and archaeologists. Also, participants learned about: Saskatchewans human and environmental histories; how archaeology can be used to reveal these histories; and why it is necessary to protect and conserve cultural resourcesall goals of avocational and professional archaeological associations across North America.

This study is designed to know contribution of local community based outdoor activities for education for sustainability. 7 teachers from Sweden and 7 teachers from Korea got involved in this study and they chose and conducted one activity from the 17 activities that I offered. After they had done the activity with their upper 13 years old students, they completed questionnaire about the conditions of class, the reason of their choice, advantages/disadvantages of the activities and the actual obstacle they had in schools to have outdoor class through open-ended questions. They also were asked to answer level of integrating subjects in social studies by Likert scale, offered opinions about relevancy to sustainability with principles and analyzed the activity with 4 ways of knowing. These three questions are asked to know the contribution of the activities for education for sustainability. This research offers comparison of teachers‘ opinion and educational condition from two countires when having the activities and how the activities are conducive to education for sustainability. In addition, it provides 17 activities which can be useful to social studies teachers who are interested in local community based outdoor activity.