Opportunities for teacher learning in teaching difficult histories: a social theory of learning perspective

ABSTRACT

This study examined the learning trajectory of five US humanities teachers when navigating learning to teach the difficult history of school desegregation within a context of a six-month inquiry-based professional development. The research questions were: What do teachers frame as problems when teaching difficult histories? How do they reconceptualize and resolve the problems in a teacher community? The primary data included video recordings of small group discussions, where each teacher contributed lesson ideas for feedback from fellow teachers. Analysis drew from three modes of belonging, in conjunction with four dimensions of historical inquiry. The findings revealed that teachers often identified problems in teaching school desegregation by emphasizing issues related to teaching perspectives. However, through collaborative interactions with their colleagues, they were able to resolve these challenges. This was achieved by clarifying teaching goals, renegotiating the meanings of learning tasks, and selecting appropriate resources.

KEYWORDS:

• Difficult histories
• historical inquiry
• teacher learning
• professional development
• teaching perspectives

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my gratitude to teachers who participated in the study. Their willingness to dedicate their time and share their expertise was essential to this research. I would also like to extend my appreciation to the editor and anonymous reviewers for their invaluable feedback. Their insightful feedback and support were instrumental in strengthening this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. For details of the case, please see the information provided by the National Archives of the United States. n.d.-a: https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/plessy-v-ferguson.

2. For details of the case, please see the information provided by the National Archives of the United States. n.d.-b: https://education.blogs.archives.gov/2020/03/11/green-v-new-kent-county/.

Additional information

Funding

This project is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities [Grants BH-50661-14 and BH-250846-16] and the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Regional Program [Grant GA GA08C0016]. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Program.

Notes on contributors

Yonghee Suh

Yonghee Suh, a professor of Social Studies Education at Old Dominion University, focuses her research on history teaching, teacher learning, and interdisciplinary collaboration. With a background as a former social studies teacher, Suh brings a deep passion for collaboration, engaging with educators, community partners, archivists, and historians across various professional development contexts.