These days, Social Studies instruction rarely occurs in elementary schools. Over two-thirds of pre-service teachers in a 2015 study reported seeing only two or fewer lessons related to Social Studies over the course of a semester (Hawkman et al.). When they did witness Social Studies, participants rarely observed instructional strategies related to those advocated for in their methods courses (Hawkman, et al., 2015). According to preservice teachers, Social Studies was portrayed as a classroom “fill-in” activity only (Hawkman et al., 2015).
What was witnessed in Hawkman et al’s (2015) study is typical of today’s public elementary school schedules. Since the introduction of No Child Left Behind and its associated testing mandates, the greatest amount of instructional time in elementary school is dedicated to Reading, Writing, and Mathematics – ranging from 45 to 90 minutes per subject. In turn, the least amount of instructional time is dedicated to Science and Social Studies – typically a shared 30 minute block. In a suburban school district in New Jersey, Science and Social Studies are taught in alternating weeks. With such little time dedicated to Social Studies, students will have difficulty mastering basic concepts never mind developing disciplinary literacy skills.
The lack of foundational Social Studies knowledge has negative effects on teachers and students. Teachers not exposed to Social Studies instruction during their pre-service days will not be prepared to lead Social Studies lessons in their classrooms. Lack of knowledge in a subject area and instructional practice in a subject area leads to lower quality instruction (Loewen, 2001). Those elementary students not exposed to adequate amounts of Social Studies instruction will not have the foundation to meet the demands of middle and secondary Social Studies curricula (Hawkman et al., 2015). Middle and secondary students will struggle to build their knowledge and skills and not be prepared for college level work.