This qualitative case study sought to understand the extent to which Japanese high school social studies teachers grapple with controversial issues in their classrooms. Situated within a curricular-instructional gatekeeping framework, we conducted semi-structured interviews with eight respondents of varying backgrounds and schools in Okayama,…

Although social justice is an overarching goal of most every department of teacher education, college of education, and US College or University, it is rarely an identified goal for K-12 schools. We contend that the field of social studies education also substantively focuses on social justice, and as such, this article clarifies the ways in which…