School of Education

Navigating “Divisive” Issues in Social Studies Education: Practical Guidance forTeachers

patenaude — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:56:58 +0000

Navigating “Divisive” Issues in Social Studies Education: Practical Guidance forTeachers

Thursday, October 9, 2025

patenaude Thu, 10/09/2025 - 13:56

Assistant Professor Taylor Kessner (��/Matt Burkhartt)

Summary

This article aims to offer social studies teachers a toolbox with which they may more effectively navigate this challenging landscape while continuing emphasize meaningful and inclusive education.

Abstract

Main research question

What knowledge and skills do social studies teachers need to successfully navigate the emerging educational landscape amidst educational gag orders?

What the research builds on

Social studies classrooms and curricula have long been localized battlegrounds of broader cultural and political conflicts (Nash et al., 2000). These proxy conflicts—about what counts as history and whose history is taught to whom and why—have more recently evolved from brushfire conflicts to full-scale hot wars as local and state governmental actors have become more involved. Several state legislatures have introduced restrictions on teaching race, gender, and identity and increased demands for transparency in instructional content. More recently, in a 2024 executive order, President Donald Trump issued an executive order prohibiting governmental support for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice efforts. The stakes for educators have never been higher. Despite often agreeing students should grapple with contested issues during their time spent in the schoolhouse, even liberal, progressive educators have long debated how best to help students confront this controversial or “difficult” content, a conversation often pivoting on the tension between Progressivism and Social Reconstructionist aims. John Dewey (1916) argued curricula should emerge from learners’ lived experiences and interests, cultivating habits of democratic deliberation through inquiry that begins with students’ own questions. George Counts (1932) contended schooling must go further, citing the need to explicitly challenge inequitable power structures and prepare young people to reconstruct society in ways that center justice and equity. Together, these perspectives suggest a complementary pedagogy: teachers might launch an inquiry with student-generated questions (honoring Dewey), then scaffold analysis of primary sources that illuminate structural inequities and invite civic action (advancing Counts). Recent scholarship on teaching controversial issues affirms that an approach rooted simultaneously in student voice and social critique can foster both engagement and democratic agency (Barton & Levstik, 2004; Hess & McAvoy, 2015).

What the research adds to the discussion

This article aims to offer social studies teachers a toolbox with which they may more effectively navigate this challenging landscape while continuing emphasize meaningful and inclusive education. We curated the recommendations we make in this article by drawing on our own recent research with hundreds of teachers navigating their craft in states that had recently either implemented so-called “divisive-issues” legislation or had made meaningful progress towards doing so. We orient our recommendations around three things the teachers we spoke with said they needed most amidst the tumult legislators have introduced into their districts, schools, and classrooms: institutional support, concrete classroom strategies, and personal and professional supports.

Implications for society

Teaching social studies in the current climate requires courage, adaptability, and a commitment to fostering critical thinking and civic engagement. By understanding the legal landscape, employing thoughtful instructional strategies, and building professional resilience, educators can continue to inspire and educate their students while navigating the challenges of the culture wars. Together, we can ensure social studies classrooms remain spaces for inquiry, dialogue, and growth. As schools face increasing pressures from legislation and public scrutiny, the role of social studies teachers becomes ever more vital. By implementing the strategies outlined above and advocating for robust teacher preparation, educators can continue to uphold the core mission of social education: to prepare students for thoughtful, engaged citizenship in a diverse democracy.

Assoc. Prof. Sarah J. Kaka, Department of Education, Ohio Wesleyan University; Assoc. Prof. Anthony Tuf Francis, Oakland University; Assoc. Prof. Katrina Kennett, Montana University Western

Kessner, T. M., Kaka, S. J., Francis, A. T., and Kennett, K. (2025). "Navigating “divisive” issues in social studies education: Practical guidance for teachers," The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies, 88(2), 1-11. Available at: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/the_councilor/vol88/iss2/2

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies (2025)

Interaction of avatar identity and opportunities to practice historical reasoning in a history videogame

patenaude — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 14:20:12 +0000

Interaction of avatar identity and opportunities to practice historical reasoning in a history videogame

Thursday, October 9, 2025

patenaude Thu, 10/09/2025 - 10:20

Assistant Professor Taylor Kessner (��/Matt Burkhartt)

Taylor Kessner

Article title

"Interaction of avatar identity and opportunities to practice historical reasoning in a history video game: A quantitative ethnography"

Summary

The authors leverage a novel methodological approach to study the made-for-school video game, Mission US, to find stark differences in how students are invited to think like historians based on avatar identity.

Abstract

The authors build on prior research suggesting the made-for-school, history-oriented video game Mission US offers entry-level opportunities for students to practice “thinking like historians”—a phrase the game uses to indicate key historical reasoning and thinking skills. Methods We leverage quantitative ethnography (QE) and epistemic network analysis (ENA) to examine how these opportunities co-occur. Findings We find significant differences between two groups of game missions focusing on different historical time periods with different player characters. One group appears to focus more heavily on historical thinking and reasoning, while a second appears to constrain historical thinking and reasoning to a function of protagonists’ marginalized identities. Further exploration of these differences revealed the game’s developers appear to have designed an ideological game world that positions White avatars to more freely engage in historical thinking and reasoning practices, while Black, Brown, and Indigenous avatars are substantively constrained in doing so. Contribution This study illustrates the power of QE and ENA to uncover hard-to-see aspects of the ideological worlds baked into teaching and learning environments, especially those potentially harmful to young people’s capacity to see themselves within disciplinary Discourses.

Main research questions

1. To what extent do opportunities to engage in historical reasoning connect with one another across the gameplay experience within missions?

2. Do differences exist between missions for opportunities to engage in connected historical reasoning practices?

3. What design elements of the missions support connected opportunities to engage in historical reasoning practices throughout game play?

What the research builds on

Well-designed video games are excellent learning environments, offering learners the opportunity to try on new identities and use new skills and perspectives. While most games developed explicitly for learning purposes focus on STEM topics, at least one made-for-school video game, Mission US, has had some success in history and social studies classrooms. The history-oriented videogame Mission US offers entry-level opportunities for students to practice “thinking like historians”—a phrase the game uses to indicate key historical reasoning and thinking skills.

What the research add to the discussion

Video games are design artifacts, as much a product of the time in which they are made as they are about the topics on which they focus. This complex interaction between intention and hidden biases can result in games telling untold, sometimes difficult to uncover stories about history and the world. In this case, we uncovered a hidden story about who can think historically and who does not, with the game biasing historical thinking skills for White player characters and backgrounding them for player characters of color.

Novel methodology

The authors drew on components of Quantitative Ethnography to conduct an Epistemic Network Analysis of the choices players make in the game. This approach allowed us to look at over 3,000 data points in context, a feat at best very difficult to achieve with traditional qualitative methods.

Implications for society

Being more aware of how the design choices people make around the design of learning experiences better positions teachers and learners to think critically about the ways of knowing and the knowledge we reproduce.

How the research may affect future research

The innovative use of Quantitative Ethnography and Epistemic Network Analysis offers a new way of looking at video games, specifically their design.

Jenn Scianna, Ph.D. candidate, School of Edu., University of Wisconsin—Madison; Assoc. Prof. Lauren McArthur Harris, Mary Lou Fulton College of Teaching & Learning Innovation, School of Historical, Philosophical, & Religious Studies, Arizona State U.

Kessner, T. M., Scianna, J., & Harris, L. M. (2025). Interaction of avatar identity and opportunities to practice historical reasoning in a history videogame:A quantitative ethnography. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2025.2544622

Journal of the Learning Sciences

Jennifer Waddington Earns Award from Arc Glow

dreessen — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 18:50:55 +0000

Jennifer Waddington Earns Award from Arc Glow

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

dreessen Wed, 10/01/2025 - 14:50

School of Education News

Jennifer Waddington, lecturer in ��’s Ella Cline Shear School of Education, has been selected as a Friend of the Year by Arc GLOW, a chapter of The Arc New York.

According to Arc GLOW, Waddington is being recognized for her “outstanding support and the meaningful friendship she has shown” to the organization and the individuals it serves. Her commitment to the organization’s mission and vision has made a lasting impact, according to Arc GLOW. Arc GLOW will announce the honor at its annual awards and meeting dinner on October 15.

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Geneseo Maintains US News’s Top Spot for Undergrad Teaching

patenaude — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:50:55 +0000

Geneseo Maintains US News’s Top Spot for Undergrad Teaching patenaude Tue, 09/23/2025 - 07:50

Clifton Named to Inaugural Class of SUNY AI for the Public Good Fellows

patenaude — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:09:56 +0000

Clifton Named to Inaugural Class of SUNY AI for the Public Good Fellows patenaude Mon, 09/22/2025 - 10:09

Made-for-school History-oriented Videogames: The Case of Mission US

patenaude — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 18:10:18 +0000

Made-for-school History-oriented Videogames: The Case of Mission US

Thursday, September 11, 2025

patenaude Thu, 09/11/2025 - 14:10

Assistant Professor Taylor Kessner (��/Matt Burkhartt)

Taylor Kessner

Article title

The potential of made-for-school history-oriented videogames in the classroom: The case of Mission US

Summary

Kessner and Harris highlight the promise and pitfalls of made-for-school history-oriented video games and offer practical guidance for teachers interested in doing games well in the classroom.

Abstract

This study examines the potential of Mission US, a history-oriented videogame, to foster historical thinking and reasoning skills in K-12 students. Historical thinking, which involves reasoning like historians, is a critical component of disciplinary literacy in history education. The game offers students interactive experiences by placing them in historical scenarios like the American Revolutionary War, the Great Depression, and the Civil Rights Movement, allowing them to engage in historical perspective-taking, cause and consequence analysis, and use of primary source evidence. Through a combination of content analysis and discourse analysis of gameplay, the study assessed how effectively the game mechanics support students in practicing historical thinking. Findings suggest Mission US provides limited but meaningful opportunities for deep engagement in historical thinking. The game includes numerous historical facts and scenarios but often falls short of requiring complex analysis or impactful decision-making. While mechanics such as dialogue selection and map navigation encourage perspective-taking, many interactions remain surface-level. The study concludes that the game, when used in conjunction with broader educational strategies, can enhance students' historical thinking skills but is less effective as a stand-alone teaching tool. The research highlights the importance of teacher involvement in guiding students through the game's content. Effective integration of the game into classrooms should include guided play sessions, collaborative learning, and reflective activities that bridge the gap between gameplay and real-world historical analysis. This study emphasizes the need for supplementary resources and careful handling of sensitive historical topics to fully realize the educational potential of history-oriented videogames.

Research questions

1. What do video games offer in terms of higher order thinking skills in history education?
2. What are the potential pitfalls of using video games in the history classroom?
3. What can teachers do to capitalize on the affordances of history-oriented video games while avoiding their potential pitfalls?

What the research adds to the discussion

Could video games be places for students to practice historical thinking skills? For decades, the terms historical thinking and historical reasoning have been cited by scholars, educators, and policymakers as goals for history learning that expand beyond mere knowledge of historical facts. Definitions of historical thinking vary (Lévesque & Clark, 2018), but they generally involve discussions of the cognitive processes involved in historical work. For example, the National Council for the Social Studies’ College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework (2013) described historical thinking as a “process of chronological reasoning, which means wrestling with issues of causality, connections, significance, and context with the goal of developing credible explanations of historical events and developments based on reasoned interpretation of evidence” (p. 45). Within these conceptions of historical thinking, some scholars have identified sets of historical thinking skills and understandings to guide teachers and students in historical work. For example, the Centre for the Study of Historical Consciousness (n.d.) identified six “historical thinking concepts,” including “take historical perspectives” and “understand the ethical dimension of historical interpretations” (see https://historicalthinking.ca/historical-thinking-concepts); similarly, van Drie and van Boxtel (2007) described a historical reasoning framework with six components, including “contextualization” and “using sources” (p. 89). Taken together, these skills represent critical elements of literacy in history and are an important aim of ambitious history teaching (Blevins et al., 2020; Wineburg, 2001). Skills such as analyzing evidence, considering perspectives, and developing historical arguments are included in many standards documents throughout North America and Europe, as well as national curricular documents such as the C3 Framework. Video games, with their potential for engagement and perspective-taking (Dishon & Kafai, 2020), may be worthwhile spaces to engage students in such historical thinking work (McCall, 2022).

Associate Professor Lauren McArthur Harris, Mary Lou Fulton College of Teaching and Learning Innovation, School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Thought at Arizona State University

Kessner, T., & Harris, L. M. (2025). The potential of made-for-school history-oriented video games in the classroom: The case of Mission US. Annals of Social Studies Research for Teachers, 7(1), 54-67. http://doi.org/10.29173/assert85

Annals of Social Studies Education Research for Teachers

Sweet Math with 10 Gulab Jamuns

cobrien — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 13:10:02 +0000

Sweet Math with 10 Gulab Jamuns

Thursday, September 11, 2025

cobrien Thu, 09/11/2025 - 09:10

School of Education News

At ��’s School of Education, Dr. Peter Kalenda is bringing math to life through stories. This semester, 28 teacher candidates are using 10 Gulab Jamuns by Sandhya Acharya as a playful entry point to teaching addition with regrouping to first- and second-grade students.

Thanks to support from the NEA’s Learning and Leadership Grant, every teacher candidate received a free copy of the book. The grant, co-authored by Dr. Kalenda and Dr. Kathleen Olmstead of SUNY Brockport, focuses on helping future childhood educators build global competency skills through storybooks that highlight diverse representation.

In the lesson, students meet Idu and Adu from 10 Gulab Jamuns and are then challenged to count and add a variety of Indian sweet treats—just like the characters in the story. This lesson's inquiry-based approach not only strengthens math skills but also invites children to explore culture and community through food, storytelling, and play.

Education Professor Lends AI Expertise to School District

dreessen — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 20:11:58 +0000

Education Professor Lends AI Expertise to School District dreessen Wed, 08/27/2025 - 16:11

�� Is a Wash Monthly Best-in-Class College

patenaude — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 17:48:49 +0000

�� Is a Wash Monthly Best-in-Class College patenaude Mon, 08/25/2025 - 13:48

Summer Camp Volunteer Story: XLH Snorkel

cobrien — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 17:11:41 +0000

Summer Camp Volunteer Story: XLH Snorkel

Monday, August 25, 2025

cobrien Mon, 08/25/2025 - 13:11

School of Education News

This July 2025, Dr. Peter Kalenda traveled to The Center for Courageous Kids in Scottsville, Kentucky to volunteer as a snorkel instructor for XLH Camp with his husband, Dr. Logan Rath (�� alumnus). The children at this camp had XLH or other rare bone diseases and the camp is uniquely designed to help meet their needs.

As an extension of his work in STEM Education in the School of Education, they offered snorkel classes to 42 children to help them develop a love of exploring aquatic environments. For many, this was a life changing experience. Dr. Rath, who has XLH, served as a role model for these children with XLH who often feel as though they cannot engage in athletic activities, such as snorkeling. The instructors also brought their scuba gear and modeled scuba diving - Dr. Rath showed how he can make scuba diving modified for those with XLH using gear such as split fins.

All students received a high-quality mask, snorkel, fins, and backpack to keep that were purchased by the XLH Network and our local Rochester Scuba Diving Shop, RU4Scuba. Dr. Kalenda and Dr. Rath created special XLH Snorkel Certificates that were provided to children as they left camp.

The XLH Network was impressed and thankful with the Snorkel Diver course and have invited them back next year - potentially extending instruction to include ecology, conservation, freediving, and mermaiding (a form of freediving using a monofin).

School of Education

Navigating “Divisive” Issues in Social Studies Education: Practical Guidance forTeachers

Summary

Abstract

Main research question

What the research builds on

What the research adds to the discussion

Implications for society

Interaction of avatar identity and opportunities to practice historical reasoning in a history videogame

Article title

Summary

Abstract

Main research questions

What the research builds on

What the research add to the discussion

Novel methodology

Implications for society

How the research may affect future research

Jennifer Waddington Earns Award from Arc Glow

Geneseo Maintains US News’s Top Spot for Undergrad Teaching

Clifton Named to Inaugural Class of SUNY AI for the Public Good Fellows

Made-for-school History-oriented Videogames: The Case of Mission US

Article title

Summary

Abstract

Research questions

What the research adds to the discussion

Sweet Math with 10 Gulab Jamuns

Education Professor Lends AI Expertise to School District

������ Is a Wash Monthly Best-in-Class College

Summer Camp Volunteer Story: XLH Snorkel

�� Is a Wash Monthly Best-in-Class College