Guest editorial: Rethinking in-service social studies teacher professional development in polarizing times

Citation

Johnson, C.S., Suh, Y., Obenchain, K. and Broome, J. (2023), "Guest editorial: Rethinking in-service social studies teacher professional development in polarizing times", Social Studies Research and Practice, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 93-96. https://doi.org/10.1108/SSRP-09-2023-083

Professional development is characterized as “a subset of the range of experiences that may result in professional learning” (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017 p. 2), which can be integral to developing knowledgeable and skilled teachers (Johnson et al., 2021). Researchers agree that effective PD maintains core structural features including content-centered, duration, dynamic learning, participation and coherence (e.g., Johnson et al., 2021; Mizell et al., 2011; Robinson and Carrington, 2002; Guskey, 2003). Despite agreement on the core structural features of effective PD, concerns remain about the limited effects of PD on teacher pedagogical practice and student learning (Tualaulelei and Halse, 2021).

Similar concerns have been emphasized in reviews of the research on social studies-specific PD (Suh and Johnson, n.d.). Jay (2022) noted that limited inquiries focus on social studies-specific PD or how such experiences impact teacher pedagogical practice or student learning; in fact, van Hover and Hicks (2018) observed that the literature on social studies-specific PD differs in scale and lacks a clear delineation or interconnectivity of such experiences. The knowns associated with effective social studies-specific PD include teacher perceptions of the value and importance of a social studies-oriented PD experience (e.g., Meuwissen, 2017; Passe and Fitchett, 2013) and the impact of history-oriented federal grants such as the those from Teaching American History (e.g., Kallemeyn et al., 2013) has on teachers and learners (Suh and Johnson, n.d.).

What is missing is a description of the complex interplay of those multiple influential factors challenging the scope and effectiveness of in-service social studies PD, including not only teacher motivation and teacher beliefs but also how a tumultuous socio-political climate and challenging socio-economic conditions curtail the implementation of core structural features of PD. Across the country, social studies teachers and social studies teacher educators face an onslaught of legislation attempting to curtail the teaching and learning of race, racism, gender and LGBTQ rights in K-12 and college-level classrooms. Times of crisis often generate curiosity and productivity to meet the moment. As teacher educators, we were interested in how social studies teachers and social studies teacher educators created and/or led social studies-specific PD given the moment we currently face. We asked ourselves: What does social studies PD look like in times of crisis? To answer our question, we set out to craft a special issue that sought to not only expand the field's knowledge of social studies specific PD but also to understand how the current context is shaping the intentional acts and undertakings of PD in times of crisis. This special issue, then, serves as a call to action to share our successes, to share our struggles and to begin a conversation on where we go next.

Context and origin of the special issue

Political clashes over COVID-19 policies, LGBTQ rights and critical race theory have disrupted K-12 education and reawakened culture wars in communities across the United States of America. Since 2020, numerous state legislatures have introduced or ratified legislation restricting discussion on supposed “divisive concepts”, including equity, gender, race and racism, in public schools. For instance, Oklahoma and Iowa have banned explaining concepts that trigger some learners to “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress” regarding their specific racial or gendered identity (Stitzlein, 2022; see also Greene, 2021). Even Rhode Island legislators sought to outlaw the assigning of “character traits, values, moral and ethical codes, privileges, status, or beliefs to a race or sex or to an individual because of their race” (HB 6070). Koyama (2023) noted Arizona legislation (HB 2898) that sought to direct K-12 public school teachers to not “provide instruction that described academic achievement, meritocracy, or traits such as hard work ethic are racist or sexist or teach lessons that assign any sort of blame and judgement on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex” (p. 1). In Indiana, a General Assemblyman sponsored legislation (HB 1134) that sought to prohibit the teaching of or reference concepts such as “intersectionality,” “white supremacy” and “racial prejudice” and statements associated with “social-emotional learning” and “land acknowledgments” (Herron, 2022). Who can forget Virginia Governor Glen Youngkin's now-defunct email hotline, where parents could report divisive teaching practices occurring in classrooms across the state (Simon and Paviour, 2022)?

This dystopian legislative landscape challenges the fullness of in-service social studies PD and creates a climate that places teachers and the purpose of social studies instruction in a precarious predicament. We recognize that the current climate in the Unites States of America is onerously challenging the radius and nature of in-service social studies PD opportunities. Yes, we get that it is tough out there! As educators, however, we are inclined and obligated to facilitate learning in in-service social studies professional development, whether formal or informal, credit or non-credit, etc. is essential to what we do.

The articles included in the special issue

In addition to addressing gaps in the literature on in-service social studies-specific PD, the content of this special issue features interesting insights into the complex interplay of multiple influential factors structuring in-service social studies-specific PD in the United States of America when political scrutiny calls into question what and how we teach social studies. The opening article by Brooks and Martin tackles so-called divisive concepts head-on by employing critical race theory and critical whiteness studies to explore how a social studies-specific PD explicitly dealt with teacher understandings and commitments to anti-racist teaching. This work offers key insights into how PD impacts teacher beliefs on race, which are structured as habits of mind and individual practices. With Kaka et al.'s article, A Steep Hill to Climb, the authors turn their gaze inward by questioning what influential factors generated a sense of helplessness and ineffectiveness in the PD. With a focus on the three teacher educators who lead the PD, the authors note that lessons learned provided a keen understanding of how complex influential factors shape social studies PD.

Monte-Sano et al. articulate the effectiveness of the Learning Labs PD model when addressing social studies topics that critically center Black identity and history as more than oppression. What makes this conceptual paper so important to the field of social studies education is that it offers a professional learning model that supports teachers in working collaboratively in their school contexts to translate theory into practice and problem-solving with attention to student learning. With Brant and Stanger's Permission Granted, the authors describe the problems and possibilities of creating sustained PD for elementary teachers. Focused on scaffolding teacher learning in integrated social studies instruction, this article provides insights and awareness for teacher educators developing and implementing school-based PD experiences.

Next, Powell's practice-oriented work delineates how social studies teachers may avoid the political pitfalls of teaching divisive concepts in their classroom with placed-based PD in national parks and other historical settings. The heart of this paper radiates the special tension between history and memory in public history, which has implications for how social studies teachers and teacher educators can circumvent divisive concept laws in key states. De La Paz et al. address the viability of a fully virtual PD series within the context of COVID-19 policies and the unjust murders of George Floyd and Breanna Taylor entirely online.

Conclusions and future directions

The findings and conclusions presented in this issue need to be seen in context. Political debates over COVID-19 policies and the teaching of marginalized groups and so-called divisive concepts not only impact K-12 education but have implications for the scope, structure and viability of social studies-specific PD. Providing teachers with the experience to grapple with critical social studies topics themselves and learn instructional pathways to bring these discussions into their classrooms has implications for student learning opportunities. Students need opportunities to deliberate, debate and topics in social studies classrooms. This affirms democratic principles and sustains a healthy democratic society. We encourage social studies teacher educators to continue the fight to engage K-12 teachers in social studies-specific PD. We hope this special issue not only extends knowledge on social studies specific PD but also provides insights into how teacher educators, researchers and practitioners can engage K-12 teachers in learning experiences that bring forth much-needed discussion on critical issues in social studies.