Texas Social Studies Framework - Department of Geography ...

7
Professional Development
in Social Studies
The National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) supports
professional development as a critical component of
developing and maintaining social studies programs. A
section of the NCSS publication, Curriculum Standards
for Social Studies (1994), states that: “powerful social
studies teaching and learning are likely to become more
common to the extent that teachers benefit from effective
pre-service preparation and in-service professional
development programs, and social studies education
receives support from school administrators, parents, and
local community, and government agencies” (NCSS,
1994, pp. 172-175).
THE STANDARDS FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT
AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN
SOCIAL STUDIES
The National Staff Development Council in cooperation
with the National Association of Secondary School
Principals developed the Standards for Staff Development
in 1995. The standards are organized into three
categories: context, process, and content. Each of these
will be discussed as they relate to effective professional
development in social studies.
Context refers to the system or culture in which learning
will take place. Implications for context include the
issues of continuous improvement, strong leadership,
sufficient funding, adequate time, and innovation. For
social studies teaching and learning, the context reaches
beyond the boundaries of a local school district. Social
studies includes historical and contemporary study of
governmental structure and workings, geographic issues,
cultural and economic influences, and critical thinking
skills to aid in assimilation of knowledge and understanding.
Thus, the entire community becomes a vital
laboratory for conducting learning. It is important for
school districts and communities to work together for
support of student learning.
Within the district, administrative personnel create a
positive context for staff development by recognizing the
value of social studies as a means of preparing students
to become responsible and contributive citizens. Teachers
are supported by being given time to attend training and
to plan ways to utilize new knowledge. Further support is
demonstrated by supplying necessary funds for implementation
of new ideas. The level of both district and
community support sets the context for staff development
and determines the level of quality of ongoing learning
for social studies teachers.
Process refers to the “how” of staff development and
describes the means of obtaining knowledge. Issues here
include development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes;
understanding of the change process; integration of
innovation; ongoing evaluation; a variety of approaches;
provisions for follow-up; and linkages to student
achievement. Social studies teachers are most effective
when they can determine their greatest needs for new
learning and have the support to pursue their goals.
• The first step in the staff development process is
to prioritize needs. For most social studies
teachers, perceived needs include gaining more
knowledge of content and skills, implementing
new curriculum designs, and meeting individual
needs of students.
• The next step is to select an appropriate model of
staff development (discussed later in this
chapter). Utilizing several models might be
necessary to accomplish a certain learning goal.