This thesis studies the functioning of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream lower secondary schools. The special focus is on social studies classes. The teaching/learning processes are described within the broader context of education, which includes mainly parents or legal guardians, teachers and teaching assistants. The theoretical part describes the legal framework of inclusion in the Czech Republic and previous research on the role of teaching assistants. The empirical part uses the qualitative approach. Several cases are presented based on analysis of documents, interviews and observations. The data were compared across the cases. The results suggest that there is a difference between the lessons of social studies and the classes of the "core subjects". The teaching assistants are available in the social studies classes only rarely. Given the mixed effects of the teaching assistants on learning and socialization of the special needs pupils, this situation might have both positive and negative impact. KEYWORDS: Teaching assistant, pupil with special educational needs, inclusive education, social studies, research

netradiční způsob jeho výuky na prvním stupni základní školy. K tomu účelu také mapuje dětská pojetí historického tématu a jejich porozumění společnosti během zmíněné doby. úvodu práce popisuje vývoj přístupů k vyučování historie, psychologické aspekty dětského současné historické literatuře představováno období komunismu na české vesnici. Výzkumná část obsa příslušného učiva v učebnicích vlastivědy, analýzu vybrané literatury pro děti a mládež (jak dobové, tak současné) a vlastní výzkum, který byl proveden metodou "design research". V práci je popsán proces vytváření vyučovací hodiny založené na literatuře pro děti mládež a tvorby komiksu. Jako diagnostická metoda pro zjišťování žákovských pojetí po výuce byl vybrán skupinový rozhovor se žáky. Práce uvádí výsledky analýzy vybraného vzorku pořízených rozhovorů. Pro hlubší pochopení problematiky dětských pojetí historických událostí bude potřeba dalších výzkumů. KLÍČOVÁ SLOVA společenskovědní vzdělávání, historie, primární škola, komunismus, učebnice, dětská porozumění společnosti

The topic of my thesis is experimental schools in Prague Michle, Nusle and Hostivař. It tries to shed light on the circumstances of the birth and end of these schools and to determine their characteristic features. Emphasis is put on the social aspect of experimentation and its close relation to the environment of the First Czechoslovak Republic. Inspiration by modern pedagogical theories is taken into account. The thesis traces the lives of several teachers. As sources were used not only archives but also a series of interviews with graduates of these schools. It aims, on the basis of a comparison of written and oral sources, to give a complex image of experimental education in Czechoslovakia at the time of the First Republic and the Protectorate. Last but not least it tries to answer the question whether experimental schools can contribute to today's education. Keywords: experimental schools, Dalton plan, pragmatism, globalisation, individualisation, differentiation, social studies, coeducation

Today’s high school students will face a host of economic problems such as the demise of the social safety net, mounting college student debt, and costly health care plans, as stated in the rationale for financial literacy provided by the Council for Economic Education’s National Standards for Financial Literacy. These problems are compounded by growing income and wealth inequality and the widespread influence of neoliberal ideology. Although one of the major goals of economics education is to teach students to make reasoned economic choices in their public and private lives and provide the skills to solve personal and social economic problems, little empirical research has been conducted on how these goals are addressed. Secondary economics education research has primarily focused on measuring students’ grasp of neoclassical economics while a separate body of literature provides theoretical critiques of that approach. This study responds to the gap presented by these separate camps by capturing the economics discourse of a high school economics and personal finance course in relation to the role of economic decision-making in a democracy, and the space to hold values discussions. Using case study methodology that included analysis of student and teacher interviews, classroom observations, the standards and official curriculum, lesson plans, and student-produced documents, the study provides deep, context-dependent knowledge about how the official curriculum is manifest in the classroom. Findings reveal that the role of economic decision-making and values discussions were given very little space. The discourse was heavily focused on the acceptance of the science and mastery of technical knowledge about personal finance for the dual purposes of preparing students to succeed on the W!SE Financial Literacy Certification Test and preparing students to navigate and succeed in a fixed economic reality firmly committed to neoclassical economics. The role of economic decision-making was diminished by the foregrounding of financial literacy over economics, which served as a mechanism of power to send the silent message that economic circumstances (such as wealth inequality) change through individual choices and that economic and social phenomena can be understood and addressed through the application of technical approaches.

Doctor of Education / Department of Educational Leadership / Gerald Bailey / The purpose of the study was to research, develop, and validate a step-by-step guide for museum and public school partnerships that wish to create motivational standards-based curriculum materials in high school social studies. Museum and Public School Partnerships: A Step-by-Step Guide for Creating Motivational Standards-Based Curriculum Materials in High School Social Studies was developed using the research and development methodology of Borg and Gall (1989). The research and development process used in this study included seven steps: 1) research analysis and proof of concept, 2) product planning and design, 3) preliminary product development, 4) preliminary field testing, 5) revision of the prototype, 6) main field testing, and 7) revision of the final product. A prototype of the guide was produced and then evaluated by museum and public school experts in the preliminary field test. Revisions were made to the guide based on their feedback. The guide was then distributed to practitioners in the main field test. The reviewers in the main field test were museum staff or high school history educators; or museum, curriculum, or technology directors in the United States. Feedback from the main field test was used to create the final product. Major conclusions of the study were: a) there was a lack of literature specifically for museum and public school partnerships that wished to create motivational standards-based curriculum materials for high school social studies, b) museum and public school personnel benefit from quality resource step-by-step guides, c) educational guides developed through research and development methodology offer museum and public school personnel practical and valuable products for improving education, d) a step-by-step guide is a useful tool when museums and public schools partner to create motivational standards-based curriculum materials for high school social studies, e) this study produced the first step-by-step guide for museums and public schools that wish to partner to create motivational standards-based curriculum materials for high school social studies.

The purpose of this study is to examine how upper secondary school teachers within the social studies subject interpret and transform the mission of preparing students for political participation. Based on teachers' dictums of how the mission is interpreted and transformed ahead of teaching, as well as which factors are expressed to affect this transformation, the study aims to determine what differences exist regarding how the mission is transformed and what can be seen to cause these differences. Through semi-structured interviews with seven social studies teachers, the study aims to answer three research questions addressing how the teachers interpret the mission, their expressions of how the mission is transformed ahead of teaching as well as which factors are mentioned to affect this transformation. The general conclusion of the study is that the teachers express that the mission of preparing students for political participation contain several contrasting dimensions, which in various ways are transformed ahead of teaching. The most central differences can be seen within the knowledge conveying and participation promoting dimensions, where the variations appear as the teachers to a certain extent focus on different areas of teaching and attend to these on different levels. Furthermore, different possibilities of influence and forms of participation are accentuated to various extent. To conclude, the study indicates that the teachers, qua agents of political socialisation, are preparing the students dissimilarly for political participation. / Syftet med föreliggande studie är att undersöka hur gymnasielärare i samhällskunskap tolkar och transformerar skolans uppdrag att förbereda elever för politiskt deltagande. Utifrån lärares utsagor kring hur uppdraget tolkas och transformeras inför samhällskunskapsundervisning, samt vilka faktorer som uttrycks påverka denna transformering, syftar studien till att utröna vilka skillnader som föreligger beträffande hur uppdraget transformeras, samt vad dessa skillnader kan ses bero på. Genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sju samhällskunskapslärare, syftar studien till att besvara tre forskningsfrågor, vilka behandlar hur lärarna tolkar uppdraget att förbereda elever för politiskt deltagande, hur de uttrycker att uppdraget transformeras inför undervisning samt vilka faktorer som uttrycks påverka denna transformering. Studiens övergripande slutsats är att lärarna ger uttryck för att uppdraget att förbereda eleverna för politiskt deltagande inbegriper flera olika dimensioner, vilka transformeras på olika sätt inför undervisning. De mest centrala skillnaderna kan ses finnas inom de kunskapsförmedlande och deltagarfrämjande dimensionerna, vilket yttrar sig genom att lärarna i viss mån fokuserar på olika undervisningsområden och behandlar dessa på olika nivåer. Vidare framhävs olika påverkansmöjligheter och deltagandeformer i varierande grad. Sammanfattningsvis indikerar studien att lärarna, i egenskap av politiska socialisationsagenter, förbereder eleverna olika för politiskt deltagande.

The Texas high school class of 2005 faced a defining test that had no precedent in Texas and little nationally. Social studies testing is a relatively new addition to the world of high stakes testing currently impacting United States high schools. Although other diploma dependent areas of mandated testing have some testing history and, therefore, related paradigms for curriculum and instructional assistance, the area of social studies largely lacks that perspective. Texas Education agency provided specific school grant monies and training for the purpose of preparation for the social studies exams. This quasi-experimental study examines the scores to learn whether or not any statistically significant differences in social studies scores would exist between the schools that participated in the TEKS/Tools Training Program and the schools that did not participate in the TEKS/Tools Training Program. The two primary at-risk groups in Texas, Hispanic and low SES, were analyzed for statistically significant differences in scores. Independent t tests and ANCOVA were used to analyze the score differences between program schools and non-program schools. Results relate to individual school staffing and implementation. The at-risk groups remained flat in score gains whether they were part of the program schools or not. Results relate to differences in learning and teaching for at risk groups. A separate trend analysis was used on the program target school which was the only school with three years of scores to determine improvement from grade 9 to 10 to 11 on the social studies TAKS test scores. Results from the repeated measures analysis indicated a statistically significant linear trend in the program target school's TAKS social studies mean gain scores across the 9th, 10th, and 11th grade levels.

The school has an anti-racist mission where teachers, especially social studies teachers, have a central role. Previous research shows, however, that the school often lacks in counteracting racism, which raises questions about how teachers see racism as a phenomenon and school as an anti-racist place. There is a lack of knowledge about how social studies teachers perceive the anti-racist work and whether and, in such cases, how they implement anti-racism within the framework of social science teaching. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate social studies teachers' perceptions of and implementation of an anti-racist mission in upper secondary school. This was done through five semi-structured interviews which were analyzed with Michael Lipsky's (2010) theory of grassroots bureaucracy which is supplemented by Gert Biesta and Sarah Robinson's (2015) theory of cultural and structural factors, Nicholas Abercrombie, Stephen Hill & Brian Turners (2006) definitions of individual and structural racism and Emma Arnebacks (2012) identified courses of action against racism. The results show that no teacher has an explicit anti-racist attitude, but they perceive the task as aimed at counteracting students 'tendencies to express "problematic" thoughts or opinions, which is a description of purpose that is influenced by teachers' understanding of racism as an individual phenomenon. The attitude to the assignment is positive, but it is perceived to be fraught with challenges that arise partly because of a perceived limited scope for action, and partly because of the teachers believing that there is a measure of anti-racism in the teaching. The teachers also perceive the social studies teacher's special role in an anti-racist assignment partly negatively as it is described as becoming a workload. Criticism is directed at a deficient teacher education that structurally limits the anti-racist work as they feel that it has to a low degree equipped them with competence in racism despite the subject's special relevance, and partly because the entire teacher education was not characterized by this which could even the workload. The teachers believe that they implement the anti-racist mission, and the courses of action are mediating, democratizing, and partly relationally characterized where concrete strategies in social studies are to provide knowledge and practice critical reflection in the students. Important knowledge is mainly about democracy and human rights, and an important skill is critical thinking. The study's conclusions are that social studies teachers do not perceive the school as an explicit anti-racist place, but rather in an implicit way. The fact that the mission is not explicitly carried out can mean that anti-racism is lacking when knowledge of racism is limited, especially when a structural reflexivity is lacking. Although teachers may neglect different expressions of racism in school, the implementation is still often consistent with the curricula's formulations of the anti-racist mission.

Syftet med studien var att synliggöra fem grundskolelärares tolkning, förhållningssätt och behandling av värdegrunds- och demokratiarbetet. Studien har utgått från två forskningsfrågor och samtliga fem lärare har återgett sina utsagor för att studien ska kunna ge en klar bild av syftet. Studien har utgått från kvalitativa metoder där semi-strukturerade intervjuer ligger till grund för insamling av empiri. Lärarna som blivit intervjuade kommer från två olika skolor, fördelade i två olika städer i södra Sverige. Studien har sin utgångspunkt i deliberativ- och deltagande demokrati teori. Samtliga grundskolelärare har med sina tolkningar, behandlat och förhållit sig till värdegrunden och det demokratiska uppdraget på varierande sätt. De hade enad uppfattning att kärnan i värdegrundsarbetet är alla människors lika värde. I det demokratiska arbetet var samtliga lärare eniga om att kärnan av arbetet utgörs av att eleverna ska få vara aktiva i diskussioner och samtal där de får yttra sina ståndpunkter. En ytterligare uppfattning lärarna var enade om av det demokratiska arbetet är att eleverna ska få vara delaktiga och påverka, exempelvis genom att få vara med och rösta i demokratiska sammanhang. Slutsatsen är att värdegrunden och det demokratiska uppdraget är grundskolelärarens främsta uppdrag i skolväsendet och den ska genomsyra hela verksamheten och undervisningen. För att skolan ska kunna fostra sina elever till demokratiska samhällsmedborgare så behöver verksamheten präglas av värden och demokratiska förhållningssätt för att förbereda eleverna till framtida samhällsmedborgare. / The purpose of this study was to examine how five teachers in two different primary schools interpret, process and approach democracy and values in their education. The study is based on two research questions and all five teachers have reproduced their statement so that the study can provide a clear picture of the purpose. The study has been based on qualitative methods where semi-structured interviews formed the basis for data collection. The teachers who have been interviewed originates from two different schools, distributed in two different cities in the southern part of Sweden. The study is based on deliberative- and participatory democracy theory. Following five teachers interpreted, treated, and related to the Swedish value-system and the democracy mission in different ways. All teachers had a common view on how to work with the Swedish value-system and that the core of the value-system is the human equality. In the democratic mission, all teachers agreed on the meaning of the democracy task which the pupils should be active in discussions and conversations where they can express their opinions. A further view such as the teachers agreed on was in order that the pupils should be allowed to participate and influence, for instance be allowed to participate and vote in democratic contexts. The conclusion is that the Swedish value-system and the democratic mission are teacher’s main task in the school system and must permeate entire school activity and the education. The school need to be able to educate the pupils to become democratic citizens and the school activities need to be characterized by values and democratic attitudes to prepare the pupils to become future citizens.

This study examines teachers' approach to controversial topics, within the subject of civics and social sciences in Swedish upper secondary school. The aim of the study is to describe and problematize the approaches chosen by teachers when controversial topics are brought up in the classroom. To achieve this, the study will examine the following questions: What do teachers consider as controversial topics? How do teachers handle situations where controversial topics arise in the classroom? Why do teachers believe controversial topics are important in education? To answer these questions, several qualitative interviews were executed. The results show that there are several topics in civics and social sciences that may strike one as being controversial. Examples of such topics are questions regarding immigration, minorities, feminism, gender, and ethnicity. In summary, the results show that teachers aspire to let controversial issues be a part of their subject, and that they see benefits with this. However, the teachers' attitudes toward their mission differ, which can also be said about their perspective on what could be the definition of “controversial topics”. The reasonings presented by teachers in this study, as to why they find these topics important, can be divided into two sections. Firstly, such topics matter to students and are engaging. Secondly, it is relevant to the subject of civics and social studies, as well as the curriculum and it’s mission to foster democracy.