Nothing like 11:24 to post my blog!

Research Question:
How do novice and experienced high school Social Studies teachers differ with regards to following state-issued curriculum guides?

Subjects:
4 high school Social Studies teachers will be chosen from different schools in Forsyth County based on years of experience. Two will be “novice” teachers, preferably with 1-3 years of teaching experience. Two will be “experienced” teachers, preferably with 10+ years of experience.

Measures/Procedures:
In-depth, qualitative interviews will be audio-recorded with each of the four teachers. Questions will be focused on discovering how closely the teachers follow the support document issued by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) for their specific content.

The researcher will also conduct classroom observations to collect more data on how closely the teachers’ lectures follow the state-recommended curriculum.

Analysis:

The interviews will be qualitatively analyzed to determine the teachers’ general tendency to follow the state-issued curriculum guides. Common and contrasting themes will be extracted to determine the differences among novice and experienced teachers in regards to the curricular guideline. Additionally, the observations will be analyzed to compare the teachers’ curriculum and use of outside resources to the state-issued curriculum guide. This additional comparison will allow the researcher to further understand the teachers’ curriculum.