The field of social studies education began as a curriculum reform 75 years ago and evolved into an educational movement that responds to local, national and international citizenship requirements of people and nations around the world. Current interests in social studies include a return to integrated content and future studies, which reflect…

Out of the eight decades of thought about the meaning of social studies, some agreement as to the purpose and goals of social studies has emerged, yet argument continues on just how the goals and purposes should be applied. One approach to understanding the different points of view on the purposes and goals is the "three traditions"…

Three teaching traditions of social studies are examined and compared: (1) social studies taught as citizenship transmission (traditional), (2) social studies taught as social science and history, and (3) social studies taught as reflective inquiry (reform). (ND)

A checklist, devised from a chart illustrating the purpose, method, and content characteristics of three social studies teaching traditions, was administered to 55 preservice teachers in Nigeria and 84 preservice teachers in Indiana to compare their teaching style preferences. (ND)

The authors present a research instrument to help teachers identify which of the three traditions they favor when teaching social studies. According to the authors, in the social studies there have developed three competing traditions which appear to be conceptually distinct. Each of the traditions prescribes different modes of selecting and…

Aims of conceptual clarity of scope and aims of social studies by offering a definition of social studies as a way of organizing, selecting and teaching content related to citizenship, and by describing the three competing traditions within the social studies. A related article is SO 500 189. (JB)

Examines the interpretation of social studies found in 96 Egyptian teachers-in-training using the Barth/Shermis Social Studies Preference Scale. Results showed the subjects had not developed a meaning for social studies as conceptualized in the United States. Implications of this finding are discussed. (TRS)

Compares results of the Barth Shermis Social Studies Preference Scale given to groups of preservice teachers in five countries over several years. Reports that social studies has evolved through three patterns of teaching citizenship education: citizenship transmission, social science, and reflective inquiry. Concludes that teachers are confused…