Exploring how Institutional Structures and Practices Influence English Learners’ Opportunity to Learn Social Studies

Abstract

Background/Context Current research addresses the marginalization of social studies and trends in teaching English learners (ELs) in monolingual schools; however, few studies have examined the way in which support services provided to ELs impact their exposure to social studies instruction. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study Social studies is a difficult content area for ELs, as they grapple with culturally specific concepts in addition to language barriers. School structures and institutional practices sometimes result in less access to social studies instruction for ELs than their English-speaking peers. We sought to describe ELs’ opportunities to learn social studies in the face of educational reforms designed to increase accountability. We also examined how institutional structures, such as ESL programs, influ-enced ELs’ exposure to the social studies curriculum. Setting The study took place in a suburban elementary school with a moderate population of ELs, situated within a large, urban school district in the southeastern United States. Participants Six classroom teachers, three instructional specialists and one administrator participated. Research Design We present a qualitative participatory inquiry that was guided by an opportunity to learn theoretical framework, in addition to research that suggests an important relationship between the quality and intensity of classroom instruction and students’ academic success. Data Collection and Analysis Data were collected across one academic year and included transcribed interviews, field notes from observations, classroom artifacts, teacher journals, and district resources. We employed a multitiered inductive analysis using a three-phase coding process. Findings/Results Our findings suggest that ELs do not receive an equitable opportunity to learn social studies. Factors included variance in social studies time, instructional schedule design, the ESL program structure, and communication/collaboration gaps. Additionally, we found disparities between the type and general overall quality of social studies for these linguistically diverse learners and their native speaking peers. Conclusions/Recommendations We recommend the inclusion of instructional specialists, such as the ESL teacher, in planning, professional development, and decision-making. Furthermore, we advocate for flexible, yet monitored scheduling of special services to ensure curricular access to all content areas. Furthermore, we emphasize that administrators must have a clear understanding of the needs of their ELs and that they must adopt a long-term vision for these students that includes simultaneous support for their content and language development.

An Elementary Social Studies Teacher's Quest to Develop Democratic Citizens: The Boundaries of Ambitious Teaching

“…For Zoey, developing citizenships and promoting civic education in her classrooms aligned with dominant views of scholars, including an emphasis on rational thinking (Gert, 2007) and a desire for students to pursue active citizenship through service-learning opportunities (Flanagan & Gallay, 1995;Youniss & Yates, 1997). This belief in the power of social studies, as well as previous experiences with the subject's marginalization by the district and other teachers (Heafner & Plaisance, 2016;Heafner, 2017;Fitchett & Heafner, 2017), as a means toward the common good is what inspired her to prioritize social studies learning in her class and to take the social studies position in fifth grade. Viewing it as more than just "her subject," she explained her belief in social studies as a force for producing an important part of the citizenry and thinking skills of students in a way that data-driven focuses on math and literacy do not, particularly in regards to finding valid evidence, weighing and deliberating evidence, and coming to appropriate conclusions.…”

“…Despite the call for meaningful citizenship education, the marginalization of social studies has been documented for years, especially within schools that do not test the subject (Heafner et al, 2006, Fitchett & Heafner, 2010, Heafner & Plaisance, 2016. Limited exposure to civic education and service learning, particularly in the elementary grades, creates a socio-cultural civic engagement gap (Barton & Levstik, 2004;Castro & Knowles, 2017;NCSS, 2017).…”

“…These are also teachers who recognize the potential of even the youngest children to exhibit sophisticated intellectual and interpersonal skills (Barton & Avery, 2016). With ample focus by districts, states, and the federal government on reading and math achievement often at the expense of social studies education (Fitchett, Heafner, & Lambert, 2012a, Fitchett, Heafner, & Lambert, 2012b, Heafner & Fitchett, 2015, Heafner & Plaisance, 2016, it may be these types of teachers that lead the implementation of the C3 Framework's call for citizenship education.…”

Beyond Tracking: The Relationship of Opportunity to Learn and Diminished Math Outcomes for U.S. High School Students

“…OTL can also account for differences in outcomes related to gender and mathematics (Albano & Rodriguez, 2013). English language learners may also be particularly susceptible to differences in OTL (Heafner & Plaisance, 2016).…”