Teaching Social Studies/History to Elementary School Students through a Discipline-Specific Approach

Abstract

This mixed methods study explored students’ learning following an intervention unit, which focused on discipline-specific practices in elementary social studies/history. The following questions guided the research: To what extent does students’ learning in social studies/history change following their participation in a unit emphasizing disciplinary-specific practices? and How does their learning compare to students who learn the same content without this approach? Two fifth-grade teachers in a low socioeconomic district taught a disciplinary unit to their students, and a third fifth-grade teacher in the same district taught the same content to her students using a transmission approach. All students performed similarly on the pre-assessment; following the intervention students in the experimental classrooms made greater gains and demonstrated disciplinary-specific practices. This study has implications for elementary school instruction in social studies/history and literacy.