Date of Award
8-26-2011
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Teaching & Learning
First Advisor
Margaret Zidon
Abstract
In this qualitative research project I investigated curricular decision-making and the relationship among teacher philosophies, textbook materials, and effective practice. Participants included five experienced fifth grade teachers who used a comprehensive social studies textbook package, History Alive! America's Past. Information was gathered through five 30–90 minute classroom observations and two or three interviews with each participant. Results indicate that teachers whose beliefs about student capabilities matched the textbook publisher's stated philosophies took full advantage of the program's innovative features. For four teachers, the textbook helped them put their beliefs into practice. One of the participants, who had less clearly-defined goals and a lower view of student capabilities, retained classroom practices from previous textbook.
Recommended Citation
Hintz, Kathryn, "“A Better Vision Of What Social Studies Can Be”: How Elementary Teachers' Beliefs Influence Their Use Of The “History Alive!” Textbook" (2011). Theses and Dissertations. 8105.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/8105