What exactly does social studies entail?

Introduction As a worldwide organisation, our clients and stakeholders may have very varied
educational traditions and systems. This can lead to misunderstandings when the same terms have
various meanings in different countries and cultures. This is particularly true when discussing social
studies. The goal of this study was to improve our understanding of what is meant by this commonly
but inconsistently used term. Social studies is a subject discipline that has sparked heated debate
over a variety of issues, including whether it should even exist as a subject at all. It is broadly defined
as a discipline that incorporates content from a variety of topic fields. However, there is a great deal
of difference in how social studies is conceptualised, both in terms of vocabulary and definition, as
well as in what topic content it is thought to include and how it is structured and managed. This
article begins by outlining the history of social studies as a school topic in order to comprehend its
origins as a discipline. We will then address some of the challenges surrounding the
conceptualisation of social studies as a school topic, including the various words and concepts
employed. Following that, we look at several approaches to social studies as a subject, including
what information is covered and how it is arranged.

The work was completed when the author was a member of the Research Division. Issue 32 of
Research Matters, published by Cambridge University Press and Assessment 2021, covers geography
and civics topics. As a result, much of the content and method to social studies has been shaped by
history. Following the publishing of the 1916 bulletin, social studies became more widely used in
American school. Because of the US's global influence, social studies as a school topic extended to a
variety of countries, frequently replacing or combining other subjects.

However, much of the research on social studies teaching has and continues to be centred in the
United States (Parry, 1999). A comparative analysis of social science disciplines in jurisdictions
around the world from 1900 to 1986 demonstrates this global trend in social studies adoption
(Wong, 1991). This study examined the existence of social science subjects in curriculum (defined as
history, geography, civics, and social studies), categorised by historical period. However, the
utilisation of social studies varies across countries. There is a considerable lot of variance and
uncertainty surrounding the vocabulary and meaning of social studies, as well as where it is
perceived to fit in the curriculum in terms of overall learning areas.

• Social studies: singular or plural? There is some variance in whether social studies is used singularly
to refer to a particular subject or plurally (i.e., social studies) as an overarching phrase or category
that incorporates numerous courses such as history and geography (J. Nelson, 2001; Mutch et al.,
2008). In some circumstances, it has been used in both meanings. This issue is linked to tensions in
how social studies and other disciplines are understood. In this review, we will look at social studies
as a school subject.

• Social studies or social science? A second issue is that social studies is often used interchangeably
with social science (Hertzberg, 1981), while other times it is regarded as a discipline within the larger
field of social science. When both phrases are used, it's unclear if they're being muddled or not
(Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2021 Research Matters).

• Issue 32 8 are used as separate phrases having a specific relationship to one another. This
happened in the New Zealand curricular framework of 1993, when both were utilised without a
specific definition or explanation of their relationship to one another, resulting in confusion
(Sinemma, 2004).
• Relationship between social science and humanities Another issue is a lack of understanding
regarding the link between social studies, social science, and humanities. In some contexts, social
studies is considered a subject within the larger learning field of humanities. For example,
humanities is a "Area of Learning and Experience" in the new Curriculum for Wales, and social
studies is a field within it, along with geography, history, religion, values, and ethics, and business
studies (Hughes et al., 2020, p.276). In other circumstances, social studies is a discipline that
incorporates both the social sciences and the humanities (National Council for Social Studies [NCSS],
2010).

• Relationship to science Social studies disciplines are occasionally combined with sciences to form a
larger category. For example, in Ireland's primary curriculum, there is an overall curriculum category
of "Social, Environmental, and Scientific Education" that includes science, geography, and history
studies. In other contexts, social studies and science content are merged into a single topic,
particularly at the lower levels of education. For example, Japan offers a "Life Environmental
Studies" subject that mixes social studies and science content in grades 1 and 2 (Shimura, 2015,
p.152).

• Relationship with civics or citizenship Civics, also known as citizenship education, is frequently
incorporated into social studies courses. Citizenship can be employed in social studies curriculum, as
a subject discipline that feeds into social studies, or as a stand-alone subject that exists in place of or
alongside social studies. Singapore, for example, offers both social studies and citizenship courses
(Brant et al., 2016).

• Social studies, or another term? When it comes to topic curricula in this area, social studies isn't
the sole phrase employed. This is sometimes done by incorporating another subject in the title, like
"history and social studies" in prior editions of the Finnish.

• Translational problems. According to literature from non-English speaking countries, in many

situations, there are subjects that can be translated to signify social studies, but might also mean
studies, depending on whether it is considered as a subject and what other disciplines it is associated
to. Social Studies Traditions The goals or objectives of specific social studies curricula play an
important influence in influencing the content covered and how social studies is conceptualised.
Research has found several "traditions" of social studies curricula (Ross et al., 2014; J. Nelson, 2001).
One notable piece of work by Barr, Barth, and It focuses on creating cultural and social unity while
giving less emphasis to diversity of experience. Cambridge University

• Social science This tradition sees the goal of social studies as teaching students the fundamental
norms, concepts, generalisations, and procedures of social science disciplines such as political
science, history, economics, and geography. This focuses on teaching pupils how to obtain, process,
and apply information. Much of the research in this area has centred on history, education, and skills
(Barr et al., 1997; Ross et al., 2014).

• Reflective inquiry According to this approach, the goal of social studies is to provide students with
decision-making and problem-solving skills that they can apply in their daily lives (Barr et al., 1997;
Ross et al., 2014.

• Informed social critique This viewpoint sees the goal of social studies as questioning the status quo
and confronting injustices. Social studies is designed to give students the chance and abilities to
analyse and critique the past and present. This tradition emphasises teachers' and students' own
experiences, including cultural knowledge and understandings (Ross et al., 2014). This tradition is
occasionally combined with the reflective inquiry technique (e.g., Barr et al., 1997)
• Individual, social, and ethical growth According to this tradition, the objective of social studies is to
prepare students to tackle difficulties in today's world, with a focus on developing a positive self-
concept and self-efficacy. It is based on democratic citizenship principles, emphasising personal
liberties and obligations (Barr et al., 1997; Ross et al., 2014). Many curricula can be considered to
draw from each of these traditions to varying degrees (Mutch et al., 2008; Barr et al., 1997), while it
is widely acknowledged that citizenship transmission has historically dominated most of social
studies teaching (Ross et al., 2014). The structure and substance of social studies courses Subjects in
Social Studies Social studies draws on a variety of different discipline subjects.

• An interdisciplinary approach—considering the subject fields to be connected but distinct; this can
be accomplished by incorporating them as strands in the social studies curriculum and drawing links
between them.

• An integrated or unified approach focuses on the abilities and patterns of thinking that are shared
by all of the disciplines in the social studies curriculum. © Cambridge University Press and
Assessment 2021 Research Matters.

For example, in Finland, it is aligned with science and emphasises on physical geography material
(Brant et al., 2016). Civics, also known as citizenship education, is frequently incorporated into social
studies courses. Social studies is frequently used to communicate ideas and belief systems. Brant et
al. (2016) discovered that diverse curriculum included a focus on citizenship, promotion of national
identity, and, in some cases, patriotism. A further problem here is defining what citizenship entails.
Many countries place a premium on ideals of democratic citizenship (J. Nelson, 2001), although this
is not true in all situations. The presentation of citizenship concerns in social studies courses has
evolved. Wong’s (1991)

• Issues 32-14 share common characteristics rather than bodies of information. In other cases, the
emphasis on skills has proved problematic. For example, in New Zealand in the 1990s, a draft for a
new social studies curriculum sparked controversy for emphasising skills over content (Crittenden,
1998). Hayward et al. (2018) examined the presence of "big ideas" (also known as key areas, themes,
or ideas) in curricula, their prominence, and whether they were subject-specific. They viewed big
ideas as essential concepts that underpin the curriculum. They observed big ideas in diverse forms in
Scotland, Singapore, Australia, Ontario, and British Columbia.

However, there are fears that incorporating literacy into the social studies curriculum may lead to a
greater emphasis on teaching literacy abilities, such as reading comprehension, at the expense of
social studies-specific skills and knowledge. Curriculum Models Social studies do not have the same
intrinsic levels of advancement as topics like mathematics. There is little research on progressions in
social studies, as the emphasis is typically on progression within individual disciplines such as history
and geography (Hughes et al., 2020). Consequently, there is a lot of variance in how social studies
curriculum are planned and structured. Several curricular models have been adopted, which also
connect to the varied traditions of social studies.
 • The expanding horizons paradigm has been prominent in social studies, particularly in the United
States (Rutherford & Boehm, 2004). This strategy has been described in a variety of ways, including
"expanding environments" and "widening interests" (LeRiche, 1987). In general, this concept
contends that children should progress from the known to the unknown, beginning with familiar
surroundings and gradually expanding from the self to the world. This model has been exposed to
numerous critiques; it is said that it is based on antiquated theories of child development (LeRiche,
1987), that it does not apply well to the study of history (Krahenbuhl, 2019), and that it needs to be
modified to take into account the technological and social changes of the modern world.

• The "chronology model" refers to a technique that is widely employed in the United States. The
origins of social studies may be traced back to the United States, when history was used to organise
the curriculum around different styles of thinking (Brant et al., 2016). However, this approach has
been challenged for neglecting to include substantive knowledge, and there are worries that it does
not take into account domain-specific characteristics of conceptual knowledge (Brant et al., 2016).

• Another approach has been to look about progression in terms of subject-specific disciplinary
thinking. This method emphasises knowledge of the concepts and processes, or epistemologies, that
are central to the specific disciplines covered in the social studies curriculum. However, there are
worries that this artificially isolates disciplines, as many competences are not exclusive to certain
disciplines, and misses the chance to integrate them (Brant et al., 2016).

• Spiral curriculum—There were several references to the usage of spiral curriculum models in social
studies. In general, this method argues that instead of being arranged by disciplines or chronology,
information should be organised in "spirals" of fundamental concepts and skills, with development
from known concepts and skills to increasing abstraction

• NCSS National Curriculum Standards and the C3 Framework—The NCSS National Curriculum
Standards and C3 Framework can also serve as an organising paradigm for social studies. The
National Curriculum Standards (2010) were created to provide a conceptual framework for the
creation and development of social studies curriculum. The standards are: