A Web-based, Issues Centered Assignment for Teacher Education and High School Students

Journal of Social Studies Research, Spring 2004 by Kohlmeier, Jada, O'Brien, Joe

Abstract

This manuscript reports the findings from a web-based, issues-centered project created by teacher education students for high school seniors in a government class. The university students compiled web pages that formulated an issue facing the Kansas Legislature and authored questions to be evaluated by the high school government students. The study was intended to research the impact of a project-based model of instruction on the university students' understanding of conceptualizing a controversial issue, selecting appropriate resources, and authoring challenging questions as an introduction to issues-centered instruction. Our study suggests the creation of the web site assisted students in conceptualizing the issue driving a bill and breaking it down into points of view by researching and evaluating resource material. The high school students' responses to their questions gave the pre-service teachers meaningful feedback on their questions, teaching them valuable lessons about this important component of issues-centered instruction. While this project did not fully implement issues-centered teaching, it did create a meaningful introduction to one of the most complex components, which is the ability of teachers to conceptualize complex issues and then generate materials and activities to engage students in the exploration of that issue. Our students became more aware of the challenges and promises of this style of teaching and may now be more receptive to a full example of issues-centered instruction.

Issues-centered Instruction in Social Studies Teacher Education

The benefits of an issues-centered social studies curriculum are well documented. The importance of students of all ages learning how to discuss, research and analyze controversial public issues for civic education is well supported by research (Hunt & Metcalf, 1968; Oliver & Shaver, 1966; Engle & Ocha, 1988). In 1991, Newmann argued that the most important component of democratic citizenship education is teaching young people how to deliberate over controversial topics and to discuss the nature of the public good and how it can be achieved. In turn, Engle concluded that issues-centered curriculum is not simply a way to prepare students as citizens, but "is the way that all education should be approached to produce informed citizens who are involved in working out better solutions to our problems" (p. vii). Metzger (1985) stated with our society moving more and more to a participatory democracy, the skills of evaluating information and making informed decisions is never more important.

Despite these calls for changes in instruction, most teachers fail to incorporate this style of teaching (Saye and Brush, 2003). The reasons for tliis gap range from the organizational structure of schools (Onosko, 1991; Metzger, 1985), the learners (Newmann, 1991; Parker, Mueller, & Wendling, 1989), and the teachers (Metzger, 1985). According to Rossi and Pace (1998), teachers are not prepared for this type of instruction. Many struggle in breaking complex issues into their various components and designing manageable activities where students are the investigators and researchers. Most teachers believe only advanced students are capable of this complex thinking, therefore few attempt issues-centered instruction with "regular" classes. Rossi and Pace, however, make a strong case that we should expect all democratic citizens, not just the intellectual elite, to research, understand, analyze and draw conclusions about complex issues. In addition to learning how to conceptualize issues, Rossi and Pace contend teachers need to acquire the ability to address two teaching dilemmas. First, how to provide enough structure and teacher direction for students to gain understanding without inhibiting the students' interest, spontaneity and autonomy. Second, how to encourage creative, high-energy student involvement that demonstrates true understanding of the content, not merely recall of facts. TWs type of teaching is complex and challenging and requires trained teachers to plan well-designed lessons that keep multi-faceted issues focused and to create an interactive classroom. Rossi and Pace suggest one way of increasing the number of teachers utilizing this approach is improved teacher preparation for both pre-service and in-service teachers. Metzger (1985) agreed with the importance of incorporating an issues-centered approach to teaching social studies into methods courses in order to better prepare our future teachers for the many difficulties they will encounter, especially the amount of time the planning and teaching will take and the confusion and frustration that comes with teaching in this complex way (Bickmore, 1993).

Some research is being done to study whether or not using technology could lessen some of the obstacles inherent in issues-centered instruction. Dwyer (1994) and Saye (1998) claim that technology may help overcome some pragmatic concerns that have caused teachers to reject student problem-solving. Alluding to the changes wrought by technological advances, Engle (1996) indirectly made a case for preparing new teachers in the use of the Internet. She argued with "the explosion of knowledge... which renders much of our old knowledge obsolete..., the cutting edge of education must be at the emergence of new knowledge" (viii). This suggests learning to effectively use the Internet as an instructional tool is an essential component of preparing new teachers for issues-centered instruction. The proliferation of ideas on the Internet makes the necessity of training our citizenry to carefully contemplate the perspectives and authenticity of web sites a critically important skill, not only for students, but also for teachers as they search for resources to support issues-centered instruction.