Controversial issues: To teach or not to teach? That is ...

TheGeorgiaSocialStudiesJournal Spring2011,Volume1,Number1,pp.32-44 GeorgiaCouncilfortheSocialStudies

Controversialissues:Toteachornottoteach?Thatisthe

question!

SarahPhilpott JeremiahClabough LanceMcConkey ThomasN.Turner TheUniversityofTennessee

Thepurposeofthisqualitativestudywastouncovertheperceptions,beliefs,andpracticesofsix teachersrelatedtotheteachingofcontroversialissuesinthesocialstudiesclassroom.Interviews focusedonsuchtopicsasappropriateteacherrolesindiscussion,howteachersdefinecontroversial issues,ifandwhenteachersengagestudentsindiscussionsaboutcontroversialissues,andtypesof activitiesteachersuserelatedtocontroversialtopics.Analysisoftheinterviewsrevealedseventhemes: (a)thenatureofcontroversialissuesasbeingsensitivesubjects,(b)theneedofstudentstodiscuss controversialissues(c)howcontroversialissuescomeupintheclassroom,(d)thepositionsteachers takeoncontroversialissues,(e)students'sensitivityaboutcontroversialissues,(f)teachersdiscomfort inteachingcontroversialissues,and(g)thelackofpreparationandsupportforteachingcontroversial issues.

Introduction

Controversyisdangerous.Itisintimidatinganddivisive.Itmakesteachersandstudentsill

atease(Byford,Lennon,&Russell,2009).Controversialissuesdividesociety(Hess,2001;Malikow,

2006;Stradling,1984).Dealingwiththeseissuesintheclassroomcandisturbthepeaceand

stabilityofthescholasticenvironment.Itcansetstudentsagainsteachother.Yetinademocratic

society,controversyiswhatdefinesthesocialstudies.Dealingwithcontroversialissuesinvolves

dissent,diversity,anddecision-making.Therearefewtopicsrelatedtohistory,geography,or

governmentthatarenotsteepedincontroversyandconflict.Economicsfocusesonscarcityand

competitionforresources,goods,andservices.Sociologyandanthropologydealwithconflictand

survivalofgroupsandcultures.Historyincludeshumanconflictssuchasgenocideandracism.

Controversyandconflictare,infact,theessenceofthesocialstudies.

In2001aNCSSpositionpaperoncitizenship(NCSS,2001)definedaneffectivecitizenas

onewho"embracescoredemocraticvaluesandstrivestolivebythem,""hasknowledgeofour

nation'sfoundingdocuments,civicinstitutions,andpoliticalprocesses,""isawareofissuesand

eventsthathaveanimpactonpeopleatlocal,state,national,andgloballevels,"and"seeks

informationfromvariedsourcesandperspectivestodevelopinformedopinionsandcreative

solutions."Giventhesedefiningqualitiesforcitizens,thenitfollowsthatstudentsneedtolearnto

listentoandconsideropposingviewpoints,seehowtheirownviewsholdupinthefaceofopposing

reason,andeventochangetheiropinioninthefaceofconvincingarguments.

Thesocialstudiescurriculumisrobustwithmanycontroversialhistoricandcurrentissues.

EventssuchastheVietnamWar,theCivilRightsMovement,andthehistorictreatmentofNative

Americansareseepedwithunderlyingissuesofacontroversialnaturesuchasgovernment

involvement,racism,genocide,andcivilrightsofindividuals.Manyteachersdonotfeel

32

Philpott,S.L.,Clabough,J.,McConkey,L.,Turner,T.N.

comfortabledealingwithcontroversyandalmostinstinctivelywanttoavoidtheconflictandthe

riskinvolvedwithexposingstudentstocontroversialissuesintheclassroom(Haynes&Karin,

2008;Hess,2009).Thewaysthatteachersandschoolsdealwithcontroversyrangefrom

purposefulavoidanceofthemtoone-sidedadvocacyofparticularpointsofview.Teachersaccept

atonelevelthattheymustbeneutral,andshoulddisguiseandhidebiases,butatanotherlevel

admitthatthisisdifficult(Lockwood,1996).Someteacherstrytoavoiddiscussionsofcontroversy

(Hess,2005).Avoidancehappensbecausecontroversialissuesconcerndisagreementsofvalues

(Hess,2001).Inapaperconcerninghowteachers'politicalviewsinfluencetheteachingof

controversialissues,Hess(2005)outlinedfourdifferentapproachesteacherstakewhenincluding

ornotincludingcontroversialissuesintheclassroom.Theyare:

1. Denial:Teachersdenythatanissueiscontroversial.Whendisclosingviewstheteacher

isnottaking"sides"butspeakingthetruth.

2. Privilege:Teachersteachtowardaparticularperspective.

3. Avoidance:Teachersavoidtalkingordiscussingthetopic.

4. Balance:Teachersmakesuretoincludedifferentperspectivesaboutthetopicandmake

surenottofavoroneperspective.Thisisthepreferredapproachtotakeaccordingto

Hess(2005).

Manycontroversialissues,includingthosethatare"highrisk",havecurricularrelevanceas

wellasimportancetostudents'lives,theircharacterdevelopment,andtheirsenseofsafetyand

security.Malikow(2006)saysevaluatingcontroversialissuesis"animportantlifeskill".Even

thougheducatorsprefertoavoidrisksassociatedwithteachingcontroversialissues,(Haynes&

Karin,2008)teachershavetodealwithcontroversyindirectandnon-prejudicialways,focusing

studentsonageappropriatecontroversies,teachingstudentstorespectvariousviewpoints,raising

probingandinsightfulquestions,structuringactivitiestohelpstudentsunderstandtheissue,the

stakes,andthestake-holders,aswellasrelevantandimportantviewpoints.Hess(2009)saysthat

studentsneedtoparticipateindiscussionswherepeoplehavedifferentpointsofview.Shesays

thatdoingthiswillhelpstudentsnotonlylearncontentknowledge,butalsogaintolerance.In

addition,theexaminationanddiscussionofvariousviewpointshelpsstudentsengageinhigher-

orderthinking(Camicia&Dobson,2010)andprovidesstudentstheopportunitytoexamineand

reflectupontheirownvalues(Soley,1996).

TheNationalCouncilfortheSocialStudieshaslongadvocatedteachingcontroversialissues

inordertohelpstudentsformopinionsandmakedecisionsmostdirectly.IntheNCSSPosition

StatementonEffectiveCitizenship(2001),theCouncilexpressedthebeliefthat:

Citizensinthetwenty-firstcenturymustbepreparedtodealwithrapidchange,complex

local,national,andglobalissues,culturalandreligiousconflicts,andtheincreasing

interdependenceofnationsinaglobaleconomy.

LaterinthispositionstatementtheCouncilassertedthat:

Ourstudentsshouldleaveschoolwithaclearsenseoftheirrightsandresponsibilitiesas

citizens.Theyshouldalsobepreparedtochallengeinjusticeandtopromotethecommon

good.

Thisseemsanenjoindertochallengestudentstoconfrontandchallengetheestablishmentwhen

theybelievethatitisguiltyofinjustice.Suchteachingisdangerous,evenfrighteningtous.Yetitis

somethingthatcitizenshaveexpectedandlaudedfromourlawmakersandleadersfromJefferson

andAdamsuntilthepresentday.

InalaterpositionstatementNCSS(2007)referredtocontroversialissuesastheyrelatedto

academicfreedom,assertingthat:

Controversialissuesmustbestudiedintheclassroomwithouttheassumptionthatthey

aresettledinadvanceorthereisonlyonerightanswerinmattersofdispute.Thesocial

studiesteachermustapproachsuchissuesinaspiritofcriticalinquiryexposingthe

studentstoavarietyofideas,eveniftheyaredifferentfromtheirown.

33

TheGeorgiaSocialStudiesJournal

WhileonemightlaudtheNationalCouncilformakingsuchpositionstatementsclearlyasserting

thatteachersdodifficultthings,theCouncilfallsshortofdelineatingthenatureofcontroversial

issues,listingordescribingthem,orevensuggestinghowteacherscancarryoutthechallenge.

Agrowingresearcheffortrelatingtocontroversialissuesbeganinthe1960's.

McAulay(1965)surveyed648socialstudiesteachersandfoundthatoverhalf(52%)feltthey

wouldbereprimandediftheydiscussedcontroversialissues.In1983,GuytonandHoffmandida

mailsurveyofasmallerpopulationofteachersaboutteachingcontroversialissues.Theirsample

consistedonlyofstudentsandformerstudentsintheirclassesatGeorgiaStateUniversityandthe

responseratewasmodest(49%).Mostoftheirsampleagreedthatteachingcontroversialissues

wasimportantand93%indicatedthattheywerecomfortableteachingaboutcontroversialissues.

Thecaveatwasthatthelargemajorityofthesurveygroupalsosaidthattheyhadtoprotect

themselvesfromadministratorsandparents.Lackofschoolsupportforteachingabout

controversialissuesandafearofretributionremainedamajorconcern.However,thepositive

trendtowardstheimportanceofteachingcontroversialissueswasencouraging.

Byford,LennonandRussell(2009)completedamuchmorerecentstudyrelatedtothe

viewsofhighschoolteachersintwostatesaboutteachingcontroversialissues.Theirfocuswas

identifyingcontroversialtopicsthatteachersperceivedasimportantandifteachersvalued

teachingcontroversialissues.Surveyresponsesfrom67highschoolsocialstudiesteachers

indicatedthatteachersbelievedindeveloping"informedandenlightened"citizensbutwere"less

assured"aboutteachingcontroversialissues.Theteachersinvolvedinthestudydidindicatethatit

wasimportanttodiscusscontroversialissuesbutnotedstudentdisruptionsandconflict.

PurposeoftheStudy

AsWaterson(2009)reports,thereisalackofresearchconcerninghowpracticingteachers

usecontroversialissuesintheclassroomandtheirpedagogicalmethods.Thepurposeofthisstudy

wastodescribeteachers'perceptionsrelatedtothedefinitionandnatureofcontroversialissues,to

delineatetheissuesperceivedtobecontroversial,andtodescribeparticipants'approachesto

teachingcontroversialissues.Asecondarypurposewastodescribehowtheinterviewees

understoodandfeltaboutschoolpolicyregardingtheteachingofcontroversialissues.The

researchersdesignedtheinterviewschedule(AppendixA)usingthreerelatedresearchquestions

adaptedfromMalikow's(2006)articleaboutengagingstudentsincontroversialissues:

1.Whatisthenatureofcontroversy?

2.Howdoteachersdeterminewhentoengagestudentsinacontroversialissue?

3.Howshouldteachersconductthemselveswhenteachingacontroversialissue?

Theresearchersrecognizedthattheintervieweesareprovidingtheirperceptionsonthenatureof

controversyandtheirperceptionsonhowthey,asteachers,shouldconductthemselveswhen

topicsofcontroversyareencounteredintheclassroom.

Method

Participants

Utilizingpurposefulsampling(Patton,2002)basedonconvenience,theresearchers

interviewedsixsocialstudiesteachers,twofemalesandfourmales,inordertodiscoverand

describetheparticipants'viewsontheteachingofcontroversialissues.Characteristicofqualitative

studiestheresearcherschoosetokeepthesamplesizeofparticipantslowsothatfocuswould

dwellonin-depthinterviewsandtranscriptanalysis.Theinterviewedteacherstaughtinfive

differentschools,inthreedifferentschoolsystemsinEastTennessee.Thegradelevelstaughtby

theteachersrangedfromintermediateschooltohighschool.Threeoftheteachershadatleastfive

34

Philpott,S.L.,Clabough,J.,McConkey,L.,Turner,T.N.

yearsofexperienceranginguptofourteenyearsforthemostexperiencedteacher.Theotherthree

hadonlyoneortwoyearsofexperience.Forthisarticle,thoseinterviewedweregiven

pseudonymstoinsureanonymity.ThepseudonymsusedinthisarticleareBruce,Chad,Greg,Lisa,

Leslie,andSteve.

MaterialsandProcedures

Theresearchersdevelopedanopen-endedinterviewschedule(AppendixA)ofquestions

basedontheliteratureofMalikow(2006)thatwasusedinallsixinterviews.Anopen-ended

questioningformatwaschosensothatparticipantscouldfreelyconstructtheirresponsesandthe

researcherscouldaskfollow-upquestions.Threeofthefourresearcherseachconductedindividual

interviewswithtwodifferentparticipants.Eachhour-longinterviewtookplaceinasettingchosen

bytheparticipantandwasdigitallyrecorded.Exceptforthetwoparticipantswhotaughtinthe

sameschool,theintervieweesdidnotknowoneanotherandnoneofthemdiscussedtheinterview

withotherparticipantseitherbeforeoraftertheinterview.

Theresearcherwhoconductedtheinterviewpersonallytranscribedeachinterview..These

transcriptswereindividuallyandthencollectivelyexaminedbytheresearchersusingthe

qualitativemethodologyofBogdanandBiklen(2007),bysearchingforthemesandlookingat

individualperceptions.Eachresearcherindividuallyreadandrereadeachtranscribedinterview

andfoundinitialcodingcategoriesandqualitativedatatosupportthecodes.Theresearchersthen

sharedthecodeswitheachother.Afterre-readingthetranscriptsandfurtherdataanalysis,the

researcherswerecollectivelyabletocollapsethecodesintosevenmainthemes.

Results

NatureofControversialIssues

Theteachersintervieweddefinedcontroversialissuesinasimilarway.Theyreferredto

themas"sensitivesubjects"thatforcedstudentstochooseaside.Greg,aten-yearveteranhistory

teacher,describedcontroversialissuesas"anysubjectthathasmorethanoneclearlydefined

viewpointthatencouragespeoplewithdifferentviewpointstoopenlydebate."Leslie's

characterizationwasonlyslightlydifferentsayingthatacontroversialissuehad"twodifferent

viewpoints."Sheelaboratedherdefinitionbysayingthatcontroversialtopicswere"anythingthatis

asensitivesubjectforpeople."Infact,alltheteachersinterviewedfeltthatthenatureof

controversywasessentiallyembodiedinopposingviewpointandconflict.

Onecommonissue,definedascontroversialinallsixinterviews,wasthesubjectofreligion.

Steve,ahistoryteacher,statedthatduringcontentdiscussions"peoplegetprettyheatedabout

religions."Lisaexpressedsimilarviewspointingoutthatifreligionisinvolvedinthediscussion

"thenthey(students)canbemoreoutspoken"andthatstudentsfrequentlyspeakoutinsupportof

theirownreligion.InLeslie'sfifthgradeclassroomareadingofthebookTuckEverlastinghas

elicitedreligiousquestionsregardingcreationism.

Inadditiontoreligion,participantsmentionedtopicsconcerningpoliticsasbeing

controversial.ChadspecificallymentionedthecurrentdebateovertheUnitedStateshealthcare

situationasbeingatopicofcontroversyinhisclassroom.Hesaidonestudent'sstatementthat

"healthcareisgoingtodestroythecountry"causedmuchdiscussioninhissixth-gradeclassroom.

Oneparticipantsaidduringpresidentialelectionsstudentsoftenaskwhohewouldliketosee

elected.Assertingthathedoesnotliketosharehisopinion,heanswerssomethinghumorouslike

heisgoingtovoteforEisenhower.

TheteachersinterviewedalsocitedissuesconcerningUnitedStatesracialrelationsasbeing

controversial.Forexample,LesliesaidthatteachingtheCivilWarandCivilRightsMovementis

35

TheGeorgiaSocialStudiesJournal

difficultbecauseyouhavetoaddresswaysinwhich"theAfrican-Americangroupsweretreated."In presentUnitedStatessocietytheeventsoftheCivilWarandtheCivilRightsMovementarenot particularlypolarizing,asthereseemstobethedefinitiveanswerthatslaveryandunequalrights basedonracearewrong,buttheunderlyingcontroversialissueofracismcontinuestobepresent andisasensitivetopictodiscuss.LesliedescribedasituationwhereoneAfrican-Americanstudent wasdisturbedtothelevelofangerafterviewingapictureofanAfrican-Americanbeingbeaten duringtheCivilRightsMovement.Lesliesaidtoher`weallunderstandthatitwaswrongwhat happened.Itisoneofthosethingsinhistorythatwearenotproudofthewayweactedbutit happenedandwehavetolearnaboutitandgoonfromthere."EvenafterthisconversationLeslie "couldtellthatdeepdownshewasstillangry".Thisparticularincidentillustrateshowsome historiceventsdiscussedinthesocialstudiesclassroomarenotcontroversialaseventsthemselves, butwhatiscontroversialisthatthecruxoftheevent,suchastheissueofracism,isanissuethat societyhasstruggledwithforages.

Oneparticipantnotedthathewouldliketodoaunit(outsideofhisprescribedcurriculum) aboutWorldWarIIattheendoftheyearbutthathewouldnotwanttoincludetheHolocaust withoutfirsttalkingtohisprincipal.MuchliketheCivilWarandtheCivilRightsMovement,this particulareventitselfdoesnotdividesocietyonthebasisofwhetheritshouldhaveorshouldnot haveoccurred,buttheessenceoftheevent-genocideandextremebrutalityareissuesthat continuetopermeatesociety.Furthermore,whetherornotAmerica,asagovernmententity,should beinvolvedinstoppingdictatorsandotherpoliticalleadersfrompracticinggenocide(asisthecase intheMiddleEastandAfrica)isacurrentcontroversialissue.TheissueofwhethertheJewish populationhasarighttoexistenceisanon-goingstruggleintheMiddleEastandwhetherthe Holocaustoccurredornotisstilldebatedinsomesub-cultures.Controversycanbefoundinboth presentandhistoricevents,asitseemsthathumankindhasstruggledwithprincipalissues concerningcorevaluethroughouttheages.

TheNeedofStudentstoDiscussControversialIssues

Theteachersinterviewedemphasizedthatcontroversialissuesneedtobediscussedinthe socialstudiesclassrooms.Gregsaid,"anyteacherwhoisgoingtobeaneffectiveteacherisgoingto havetogetstudentsemotionallyinvolved"by"encouragingthemtodebateissuesthattheyare emotionallyattachedto."Heassertedthatemotionalinvolvementindiscussionsmakesstudents moreinterestedincontent."Itactuallyhelpstheclassallthewayaround." Chadexpressedtheviewthatstudentsshoulddiscusscontroversialtopicsbecause"they (students)needtobechallengedintheirbeliefs."Althoughhehadpersonallyneverbeenin troublewithaparentortheschooladministrationoverusingcontroversialissuesintheclassroom Chad(asdidotherteachersinterviewed),seemedfearfulthatturmoilwaspossible.Hecautioned thatthechallengingofstudents'beliefshadtodonecarefullytokeeptheteacherfromgettingin trouble.Chadobservedthat,"Ihavetofindthefinelinebetweenchallengingthemandnotgetting yelledat."Teacherneutralityandnotveeringoutsidethecurriculumwerehispersonalparameters forhavingsafediscussionsaboutcontroversialissues. Stevehadsimilarviewsaboutthenecessityofincludingcontroversialissuesinthe classroom.Hisobservationwasthat"thesekidsareheavilyinfluencedbytheirparentsbeliefs... theyhavenotdevelopedtheirownideasyet."Hethoughtthatstudentsneededexposureto perspectivestheymightnothearathome.MuchakintoSteve'sview,Lisafeltthathergoalinusing controversialissues"wouldbeto...openthemuptopeoplefromdifferentperspectivesmore."She alsothoughtthatcontroversialissueswouldhelpfoster"ahigher-orderlevelofthinking"in students. Oneparticipantnotedthatastatesenator,whowasaparentofoneofhisstudents, "thankedmeforbringingissuesthatarenotjustfromthepastbuttyingthemintowiththepresent

36

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download