Social Studies Teachers and The Curriculum: A Report From a National Survey

Abstract

At a time when there is much discussion about what the secondary social studies should be, little is known about the curriculum opinions of secondary social studies teachers. This study attempted to fill that gap. A questionnaire was sent to 1,000 secondary teachers who were randomly selected from National Council for the Social Studies membership lists. Results from the 345 teachers who responded identified a diversity of opinions on curriculum; yet, within the diversity a few patterns and preferences emerged. As expected, history was the discipline most favored by teachers surveyed. They preferred a curriculum dominated by history, geography, and government.