Two-Column Notes

Date:
9/21

Name: Mike Smithmyer

Class/Subject: EDTL 2760

MR Title(s): Social Studies as Democratic Education

MR Source(s): Patterson, N., Misco, T., & Doppen, F. (2012). Beyond personally
responsible: A study
of teacher conceptualizations of citizenship education.
Education, Citizenship, and Social Justice,
7(2), 191-206.
Page #

The Text Says

Notes (key concepts, direct quotes, etc.)

192
Several studies show that social studies
teachers themselves concur with this
stated purpose and the skill set it implies.
The People for the American Way report
showed that 83 of the 400 teachers
surveyed agreed that citizenship is either
the most important or one of the most
important goals of the field
198

While the rank-order findings suggest a

high regard for the citizenship purpose of
social studies among the majority of the
teachers who participated in the survey,
their majority orientation toward personally
responsible citizenship is at odds with the
intent of the state and national standards.

I Say
My notes, commentary
The stated purpose this quote is referring to is
to prepare students to make informed ad
reasoned decisions for the public good as
members of a democratic society. However, the
study numbers shown here show less than 25%
of social studies teachers believe that this is
the most important part. To me, this does not
seem to be social studies teachers agreeing
with the statement, but most actually do not
agree and believe something else is more
important to teach.
Are the statistics at odds with the standards? If
65.8% of the teachers surveyed showed
characteristics of being personally responsible,
or voting, doing moral good, volunteering, etc. I
believe they are almost perfectly in line with
the standards. While the justice-oriented
participants may have a much broader sense of
what it means to be a citizen, it seems to me
that the personally responsible participants
may have the same sense, they just believe in

204

Teachers perceived levels of citizen

involvement, the value and usage of social
studies content knowledge, and the
location of citizenship education in the
curriculum can limit them to a personally
responsible stance.

focusing it at home first before turning abroad.

What does limit them to a personally
responsible stance mean? Are we implying
that the teachers are wrong in their
interpretation of how social studies should be
taught and how it applies to citizenship, or are
we saying that teachers should have a healthy
dose of personally responsible, participatory,
and justice oriented all together and having just
one view is limiting?

Connections to previous MR: This reading can tie back to our past readings, because it directly states
the standards for what social studies is, and how teachers are going to be teaching it. It shows us
exactly how we as future teachers should be using social studies, and how current teachers think that
social studies should be taught to their students. It might also explain why kids do not like social
studies, as some may have no interest in becoming global citizens or they think that being a good
citizen and the duties that it brings does not apply to them. I believe that this study has some
interesting points in it, but overall I think it focused too much on the justice-oriented side of the
standards. While the justice oriented people had the desire to teach people to question the system and
become active global citizens, I do not think that they are 100% of the standards. Becoming an active
citizen doesnt always mean challenging authority and attempting to change things, and becoming an
active and dutiful citizen of the world might mean starting small in your local community like the
personally responsible and participatory people suggested.