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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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