As I think back to the classroom experiences that have been the most interesting and the most rewarding for me, I realize that the majority of them have incorporated a certain level of class discussion. While it is certainly very important to learn about particular aspects of history and there are some of the often quoted “names, dates, and places” that must be memorized, in my opinion being able to understand the broader trends and why certain events occurred is just as important. Perhaps even more important. When looking into the past, though, it is important to realize that there is not always a right or wrong answer concerning why something occurred or why something is important. A teacher can lecture on an event or a figure’s importance, but individuals in the class often have other equally valid ideas. Discussion is an important medium through which students can voice their opinions. This is getting long winded, so I’ll cut to the chase…
With the focus on standardized testing as a result of the NCLB legislation, the story, as I’ve often heard it, is that many teachers are having to do away with class discussion in order to make sure that all of the key facts are covered in class. I think this is a problem, and I would like to research the topic. This could be approached through a variety of questions. How do teachers work discussion into their curriculum? How often does discussion take place? Is it a class discussion or in groups? Do students like/value the discussions? Does it affect their opinion of social studies class? What are teachers thoughts, is it valuable? How many students participate? How do the test scores of classes that focus more on discussion compare to those that do not? Does discussion have a place in the social studies classroom or is it a waste of time? Am I too idealistic and too accustomed to the higher level of thinking that takes place in history classes on the college level? Should I just go chat and sing Kumbaya around a campfire with a bunch of other history nerds and then get down to the gritty details in my high school class? Clearly I don’t know exactly where I’m headed, but, I think it would be an interesting topic.
3 comments:
John, this is overwhelming. You have given me about a dozen viable research questions. Good work. Discussion is a good topic, and as we go on you should think about different research designs for studying it. Most of your ideas could work. I LIKE campfires and Kumbaya, but I am glad you are going to prepare better than that!!
John,
This is definitely a worthwhile topic, but pretty broad. One idea might be to define discussion as you see it (or better yet, from the literature). Is it the teacher having a one-on-one conversation? Or are all students involved? One author to check out is Diana Hess. I believe she has an article in Social Education from 2004...
Also, how do you know when there's been a successful discussion? Is it like charisma, when you know it when you see it?
As for research, one idea might be to interview teachers as to their views on discussion, and then observe them as to the extent to which they engage their students...you could look for frequency or type...or better yet, both.
John,
I believe you have identified a dilemma that many public school history teachers are facing. Or at least I've heard similar concern from actual teachers. Class discussions seem to be a great way to relate historical material to the present, giving students the opportunity to voice opinions and thus internalize the material. A very basic way to research this topic would be to survey teachers to find out the extent to which they would like to ideally incorporate classroom discussions into their lectures. And then survey to see how pressed they actually feel as a result of standardized test. Easier said than done, I know, but good luck!
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